A Slight Change
by dinerdude
Summary: Ch. 12 up! Last chapter. Hope ya enjoy it!
1. Meeting Dad

It sounds so cliché, but life really does throw you curveballs. Here's one: After fourteen years of never knowing who my father was and always dreaming that he was Johnny Depp, my mother decides to send me away to live with him. My father, not Johnny Depp, though that would be nice.  
  
So upon hearing this bit of news, I asked what my dad's like and, more importantly, who he was. Remus J. Lupin, former Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts Schools for Witchcraft and Wizardry, one of my school's rivals. I attend- or rather- I attended Ratchell Academy for the Young Witches and Wizards in California but am now transferring to Scotland's Hogwarts. I don't see the reason behind this. I mean, Remus doesn't teach there anymore. When I told this to Mom, she replied with, "Location, Lorelai. Location." Asking what that was supposed to mean, I found out that Remus lives in England, not California.  
  
Now, here I am, packing. I threw most of my clothes into a duffle bag (I ran out of room) and grabbed my trunk full of school supplies. With my sooty owl, Becks (named after my favorite soccer player, David Beckham) perched upon my shoulder, I set off to tell my mom that I was ready to leave.  
  
Poor Mom. Through all of this mess, she never once told me why she was sending me off. As I watched her start the car, I smiled sadly. I'm going to miss her so much. Her crazy antics, her boundless energy, her insane obsession with the Darkness- just her.  
  
"Lorelai, let's go. We're off to see the wizard!" She giggled. "Hey, your father's a wizard."  
  
"Well, where else do you think I get my amazing talents?"  
  
You see, my mom's a Muggle; she's non-magic. But I love her nonetheless.  
  
Once we arrived at the airport, my mom got our tickets and we settled into our seats. About twenty hours later, we had arrived at the Birmingham International Airport. We rented a car and began the three hour drive to Remus's house. About half an hour into the trip, I cautiously asked Mom why I was leaving.  
  
"Lorelai..." She sighed. "Your dad sent an owl a few weeks ago, saying that he felt it was time for you and him to meet. Seeing as to how he and I don't get along, I thought it'd be better if you go alone."  
  
"So, you're just going to drop me on his doorstep and leave?"  
  
"Of course not! I'm going to lightly set you down, ring the doorbell, and then leave. Maybe, if you get lucky, I'll leave a note with your name, age, and allergies."  
  
I let out an aggravated sigh. Now was not a good time for her sarcasm. "Mom, be serious. I don't see why I have to live with him if all he wants to do is meet me."  
  
"You know what? I'll tell you why. Because I want you to. I am tired with all of this magic and Ratchell stuff! I don't know about any of this and I feel as though you should have at least one parent who can help you with your homework and make things explode by pointing a wand at it. Remus went to Hogwarts, he taught there, for God's sake! He knows what to do! I don't. You need him, Lor."  
  
I frowned, defeated. "Is he a good guy?"  
  
"The greatest."  
  
"Then why'd you leave him?"  
  
"Because I couldn't let myself fall in love with him. He's not like most men. He's special and I didn't want to hurt him."  
  
I felt as if she wasn't telling me something but I didn't push the subject anymore. I just sat back in my seat and enjoyed the ride through the beautiful forest land. The huge trees shaded the dirt road that Mom drove down, and the red berries on the bushes added color to the otherwise dark and dense scenery. I watched a mother doe frolicking around with her young fawn before dozing off.  
  
"Lor... Lorelai, we're here. Remus has already taken your bags into the house and I'm about to leave."  
  
I opened my eyes and my mother's sad face was just inches from mine. There was something else hidden in her sad blue eyes but I couldn't quite read it. Worry, maybe? I don't know.  
  
"I'm gonna miss you, babe." She brushed a kiss on my forehead.  
  
"I'll miss you, too, Mom. I love you."  
  
"Right back at ya." She smiled. "Call me."  
  
"I will."  
  
I exited the vehicle and watched my mom drive off, unaware of the man standing next to me.  
  
"She's a remarkable woman."  
  
I quickly turned to see the tall man, also watching Mom's retreating vehicle, now just a dot in the woods. I studied his face: the two long scars stretching from his left temple all the way to his right cheek, his amber eyes, and the undefined emotion that settled behind the twinkle in them.  
  
"I guess you know who I am," I finally said, interrupting the oddly comfortable silence that had settled between us.  
  
"Lorelai Nicole Kelsey."  
  
"And you're Remus J. Lupin. What's the 'J' stand for?"  
  
He smiled, looking down at me. "I never tell."  
  
"Aw, come on. Please?"  
  
"You're as persistent as your mother. Come on, I'll introduce you to everyone."  
  
"Everyone? Who else lives here?"  
  
"Just a few others. Tina didn't tell you?"  
  
"She didn't tell me much."  
  
He froze, every muscle in his body tense. I began to wonder if I had said something wrong before he turned to me again, a small frown creasing his otherwise wrinkle-free face.  
  
"Well... sit down, please."  
  
I sat down next to him on the front porch step and waited for him to continue. He was silent for a minute, picking at his frayed jacket cuffs.  
  
"Um... your mother said nothing about my... my status?"  
  
"I don't think so," I said slowly.  
  
"All right, well... this is extremely awkward." A soft chuckle escaped his lips. "Okay. I am... a, um, a werewolf."  
  
Werewolf? My father's a werewolf... does that mean...?  
  
"Am I one, too?"  
  
"Dear Lord, I hope not." He glanced at me, his amber eyes momentarily meeting my own green ones. "Have you ever come in contact with the full moons light?'  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Did anything happen?"  
  
"No."  
  
He let out a sigh of relief and an almost boyish grin spread across his face. "Good, good. Well, now that we've got that settled-."  
  
"Remus, my good friend, a letter's just arrived from Albus." A clean- shaven man joined us on the porch. His scraggly black hair looked as though someone had tried to run a comb through it but was unsuccessful and his brown eyes were haunted.  
  
"Oh, hello," he said, smiling at me. He looked really familiar.  
  
"Sirius, this is my daughter, Lorelai. Lor, this is my good friend, Sirius Black."  
  
My eyes widened in fear. This was the same man that the whole wizarding world was looking for. He was a murderer!  
  
"Oh, my God!" I jumped up and attempted to run after my mother's car that was now miles away but Remus caught me with one arm around my waist.  
  
"I know what you're thinking," he stated, laughing. "He's innocent."  
  
"Says who?" I tried escaping his grasp but finally gave up, defeated. Those scrawny arms were false advertisement.  
  
"Says the Ministry of Magic."  
  
"Oh." I looked down but haltingly raised my eyes to meet Sirius's. "Sorry."  
  
"Not a problem."  
  
"So, would you like to see your room?"  
  
Up until now I hadn't really looked at the house. Now that I did, I was totally amazed. It didn't look like a normal, well-kept home. In fact, it looked like it was falling apart. The red paint was chipping from the shutters and the shutters themselves were falling off their hinges.  
  
Cautiously, I entered the house and stared in awe at the boy- rather, the legend- in front of me.  
  
"Harry Potter," I breathed. 


	2. Getting to Know You

TITLE- A SLIGHT CHANGE  
  
CHAPTER 2- THE ROOMIES  
  
DISCLAIMER- Yeah, I forgot to do this in the first chapter. None of these characters belong to me except Lorelai and Tina. Um... oh, Ratchell is mine too. God, I wish David Thewlis was but he's not.  
  
A/N: Um, let me make a few things clear. I've removed half of the people who were in the Order, Sirius is NOT dead (do you know how long I cried when I read that Sirius died?), Voldemort isn't that big in this story, I mean, there's not this huge battle between Harry and Voldemort. This is more of a family character story. Sorry, but I'm not really into the whole "Dark Lord" thing. Well, thanks for reading!  
  
"Oh, right. We have a few guests." Remus put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Harry, meet Lorelai, my daughter."  
  
Harry gave a nod of his head and I smiled. This is Harry Potter, the boy who lived! His black hair was its usual heap of untidy mess, but his green eyes were full of laughter and dread, as was expected.  
  
A tall, gangly boy of about my age of fifteen years with red hair ran into the foyer, chasing after a tiny, little owl. Upon seeing Becks, the owl immediately perched itself atop my shoulders, hooting wildly at Becks. I grabbed it and handed it to the red-haired boy, who blushed furiously.  
  
"Sorry about that," he muttered. "Pig's a bit of a hassle."  
  
"Pig?" I stifled a laugh as the boy scowled.  
  
"Pigwidgeon; my sister named it."  
  
"Oh, of course." At my remark, his scowl deepened. "I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. I'm Lorelai, by the way. Remus's daughter."  
  
"Ron Weasley. My brothers, Fred and George, are upstairs, probably doing something they shouldn't. Ginny's in the kitchen with Mom and Tonks, and Dad's at work."  
  
"Big family."  
  
"Oh, that's just the bunch who are staying here for the summer. I have three other older brothers. Are you an only child?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Come on, Lor. There's more people to introduce you to." Remus put an arm around my shoulders and gently guided me away from Ron and Harry.  
  
I smiled and felt my heart swell with happiness. It's nice having a dad who can show you off to all of his friends. I mean, I know he's not bragging about me of anything but, it's just nice to feel included and special. Sure, Mom gloated about her only daughter plenty of times but only to the many boyfriends who she paraded around with. This was different. Remus actually had a true smile on his scarred face as he said my name.  
  
Once I had met everybody, I was escorted to my room by Remus. He sat at the edge of my bed and looked around the room. He studied the various newspaper clippings that Hermione Granger had hung on the wall, the clothes on the floor, and the flowered patterns on the bedspreads, until finally smiling at me.  
  
"How are you?"  
  
"I'm good. You?"  
  
"I have no reason to complain."  
  
I sat my duffle bag at his feet and wrapped my arms around his neck, giving my father his first hug from his daughter. A little surprised at first, he soon hugged me back.  
  
Pulling away, there were no words to describe the look on Remus's face. Maybe contentment? Happiness? Love?  
  
"Um, thank you." He chuckled.  
  
"I didn't get a chance to do that earlier."  
  
"Oh. So, did you meet everyone?"  
  
I nodded. Apparently, there used to be many people running around in Remus's and Sirius's shared home but few stayed. Those actually living in the house were Sirius, Remus, Harry, and now myself. But several others still roam around and stay for dinner once in a while, according to Hermione. Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, Tonks, and of course, the Weasley's and Hermione.  
  
"They seem like nice people," I commented, beginning to unpack my clothes.  
  
"They are. I am truly grateful to have met all of them."  
  
"How did you meet Harry?" I still wasn't quite over the fact that I'd just moved in with the famous Harry Potter.  
  
"Well, I used to teach at Hogwarts and I first met him there, but I've always known his parents. James, his father, lived just down the street from me growing up and we became great friends. We met Sirius and Peter Pettigrew our first year at Hogwarts, along with Lily."  
  
"Harry's mom?"  
  
"Right. Peter later killed James and Lily by telling Lord Voldemort-" I flinched at the mention of His name. "Get used to it. So he told Him where they were and- well, you know the rest. Harry went to live with his aunt and uncle before Sirius, his godfather, adopted him last year."  
  
"Interesting." I sat on the floor in front of Remus, absentmindedly stroking Becks' feathers. "You don't mind if I ask you another question?"  
  
"Besides the one you just asked?" He smirked at his own wit.  
  
"You're hilarious." I paused. "Why did you want to meet me?"  
  
"Story time." He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "All right, well, when Sirius adopted Harry, I felt as if he were my own son. It was then that I realized... I wanted a family of my own. Your mother and I loved each other very much, but it could just never work. I had to leave behind a woman who I loved with all of my heart and my beloved baby girl." He frowned. "I spent years telling myself that it was the right thing to do, only to realize that I was just fooling myself. So, I sent an owl to your mother and... here we are."  
  
"Here we are," I repeated with a smile. After all these years of living without a father, I had finally found him. And I was beginning to take a liking to him.  
  
Later that evening, Harry, Ron, and Hermione invited me to take a stroll in the woodlands behind the house. We walked in silence for a couple of minutes before trying our hands at light conversation.  
  
"So, awkward, huh?" I asked, receiving relieved sighs.  
  
"Bloody 'ell," Ron muttered. "I hate awkward silences."  
  
"It seems as though you find yourself in them a lot." Harry flashed me a toothy grin. "Ron's not too good with girls."  
  
"I'm fine with girls!"  
  
"Fine just doesn't cut it, does it, Lorelai?"  
  
"Oh, no. I want my men great, not fine." I marveled at what I saw hidden amongst some trees. A hippogriff! It was so beautiful! It's grey feathers reflected the setting sun and its wings were settled at its sides. It gave a cluck of recognition as the trio bowed down to it.  
  
"Buckbeak," Harry stated, petting its beak. "He helped Sirius escape before the Ministry caught Pettigrew."  
  
"Well, good job, Buckbeak." I watched the three kids pet the hippogriff before I heard a faint yell coming from the house.  
  
"Hey, guys. Ginny's calling us."  
  
"Let's go."  
  
Days turned into weeks and it was soon only three days before our return to Hogwarts. Actually, my first day at the school. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley seemed fine about it but Sirius wasn't too fond of our departure. He seemed even crabbier than usual, going out to spend long spans of time with Buckbeak. Remus, on the other hand, looked pleased. It was weird because he was constantly wandering about the house with a broad grin stretched across his face. I asked what he was up to but his smile only seemed to widen.  
  
"You'll find out sooner or later."  
  
"Remy..." I whined.  
  
His smile soon disappeared quickly, only to be replace with a sad look of remembrance. "Your mother called me that."  
  
"Oh, sorry."  
  
"No, no, I don't mind." His smile returned. "You're more like her than you will ever know. Not just appearance-wise either."  
  
So many people have told me that I looked like Mom, but I usually just shrugged it off. But when Remus said it, it made it official, and I actually thought about it. My dirty blonde hair was streaked with gold because of the sunlight, just like hers. My attitude was carefree and outgoing, just like hers, although I can see that Remus had an attitude similar to mine. I usually don't care whether I'm more like this parent or that, but now I'm glad to have figured out that I'm like both of my parents.  
  
"That's funny because Mom says that I act like you."  
  
He smiled. "In what way?"  
  
"I don't know. I guess... your attitude. Live life to the fullest, ya know. Enjoy the moment."  
  
"Right you are. You really have my attitude on life."  
  
I looked out the front window to find the Weasley's loading up the cars lent to them by the Ministry, realizing that I would soon be leaving Remus. After finally meeting him and enjoying spending everyday with him for a month, I have to leave him. I'll only be gone for a couple of months before I return for Christmas break, right? I mean, I'll see him soon. Ah, forget it. That's a load of bollocks. I'm going to miss him like crazy and now I'm just trying to lighten things up a bit.  
  
I hugged Remus tightly before pulling away. "I should go. Ya know, before I start crying. Okay. Well, bye, Dad."  
  
"Bye, Lorelai." He paused, realizing what I said. "Did you call me Dad?"  
  
"Maybe. You'll find out sooner or later," I remarked with a smirk.  
  
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A/N- Check out the cool little hearts!Well, I'm not sure if they're still hearts. I had to change the format that I was writing this in. Now I think the corporate marks. Dang. So...Thanks for reading! Hey, in case you didn't know, "bollocks" means BS. Oh, I just saw Divorcing Jack with David Thewlis and I totally recommend it! Great movie. Next chapter should be up soon. Sorry the chapters are short. I don't have enough time to write long lengthy chapters. Thanks again! -------CAMACHO 


	3. ButHow? But How?

TITLE- A SLIGHT CHANGE  
  
CHAPTER 3- BUT…HOW…BUT HOW?  
  
DISCLAIMER- I own nothing. Except Tina, Lorelai, and Ratchell. I own a couple of bucks and a He-Man toothbrush, but that's about it. It's all J.K. Rowling's.   
  
The ride to Hogwarts was less than entertaining. I took out my portable c.d. player, which was a Muggle's sort of entertainment, so the three kid wizards were fascinated by it. I had to explain to them what it did many times, very slowly. ("It plays music. These little circular pads have music makers in them that play music. No, Ron, you don't put them there. Put them on your ears. No, not like that. Ron, look. Dang it! Just listen!") I have so far converted Ron and Harry into fans of the Clash but Hermione says that it's a load of rubbish. ("Honestly! I don't understand a single word they're saying!") Other than that little episode, the ride was pretty quiet.  
  
But, when we were within viewing distance of Hogwarts, I was totally shocked. I mean, I've seen pictures of Hogwarts but they were nothing compared to the real thing. Its stone walls were crawling with ivy and its arched windows were lit with candles, illuminating the night sky. The train rumbled to a stop and I saw horseless carriages an about thirty boats awaiting the students.  
  
The sounds of laughter and doors slamming shut roused me from my studying of Hogwarts. I left the train with Ron assuring me that my belongings would be waiting for me in the dormitory.  
  
The three wizards led me to the Great Hall and, let me tell you, it was great. Candles floated in the air, giving the Hall an almost heavenly glow. There were four tables stretching for about thirty feet each, which is where the students sat. There was also a stage lined with chairs. Older witches and wizards, whom I assumed to be the teachers, began sitting in these seats. I watched each one sit down: the short one with the bushy white beard, the man with the hooked nose and greasy hair, Remus, the woman-  
  
Remus? I did a double take and, sure enough, my father was sitting on stage chatting with Greasy Man.   
  
"Lupin's here!" Harry exclaimed, his face shining with happiness.   
  
"I didn't know he was coming back!" Hermione turned to me with raised eyebrows.  
  
Holding my hands up defensively, I said, "No idea. He didn't tell me that he was coming back."  
  
A tall wizard with flowing grey hair and a long silver beard approached the podium in the middle of the stage and a hush fell over the Hall in an instant.  
  
"Dude…" I breathed, impressed.  
  
"Welcome back for another year at Hogwarts!" He said, his voice soft and raspy. "Before we begin the Sorting and feast, I would like to make a few announcements. First and foremost, I would like to welcome back Professor Remus Lupin, who will once again be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts." He had to raise his voice to say the last half of the sentence, for the clapping had drowned out his voice. I guess Remus was well liked. He looked at me and winked. Apparently this was why he was so pleased that we were heading off to school.  
  
"Not only did Professor Lupin return to Hogwarts," the wizard continued, "but he also brought along a special guest. His daughter, Lorelai Kelsey, is also here at the school. She has transferred over from Ratchell, which is another wizarding school in California. Lorelai will be Sorted later this evening."  
  
As he continued to speak, I turned to Harry and Ron, who appeared to be slightly bored.   
  
"What's he mean 'Sorted'?" I asked them.  
  
"The Sorting Hat-" Harry pointed to a hat that sat on a stool, looking as if it'd certainly seen better days. "-will choose which house you're going to be in. Did you have school houses in Ratchell?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"We're in Gryffindor. Oh, look, Dumbledore's done. You might wanna head onstage. Sorting's about to begin."  
  
I quickly walked up to the stage and stood amongst the first years. I felt so stupid, standing about a half foot taller than most of them, attracting the most attention. I glanced towards Remus, who gave me a reassuring smile.   
  
"Aldens, Kacey." A thin witch with an even thinner nose read the names of the younger kids and they then went to sit on the stool. Before the hat even touched Kacey Aldens' head, it shouted out "Hufflepuff!" This system seemed to drone on and on before I was the only one left.  
  
"Kelsey, Lorelai." The witch smiled at me as I sat. She placed the hat atop my head and I waited patiently.  
  
"Hmm… I don't suppose you have a preference in what house you'd rather be in, do you?" The hat asked.  
  
"Gryffindor would be nice."  
  
"Really? You'd do so much better in Ravenclaw, though, with your brains. You are also very well associated with the Dark Arts, so you should belong in Slytherin. But, your father was in Gryffindor. So… GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
I let out a sigh of relief as the Gryffindor table applauded loudly. I returned to my seat beside Hermione and have Remus a thumbs up. I already felt at home.  
  
"What classes have you got today, Lor?" Ron asked at breakfast the next morning.  
  
"Um…" I finished my bite of bagel and cleared my throat. "Divination, Potions… all right, Double Dark Arts! And then, Herbology. What about you guys?"  
  
"Same," Harry and Ron replied.  
  
Hermione looked at me but quickly returned to studying her schedule. I could've sworn that that was a dirty look, but I'm probably mistaken. It's early.  
  
"Same except Divination," she said. "I have Arithmancy then."  
  
I finished my bagel and jam before following Ron and Harry to the Divination tower. The whole time I listened to them spout on and on about what a horrible teacher Professor Trelawney is and if she predicts that I were to die soon, not to worry. Harry's died several times, according to her.  
  
"Load of cock-and-bull, if ya ask me," Ron muttered.  
  
"Good thing nobody asked you." Harry threw his bag on the table and gazed longingly at what looked to be a Quidditch field. I've heard several stories of Harry's Quidditch games from Remus. He speaks very highly of Harry's skills as a Seeker. I didn't play Quid ditch at Ratchell but I dreamt of it. I'm not too good on a broom. I can get from point A to point B but that's about it.  
  
"Welcome, class." A breathy voice filled the room, snapping me from my thoughts. I took one look at her, with her glasses that were way too large and her mousy face, and knew that I wasn't going to like her.  
  
"How's your father?" She asked me.  
  
"Why don't you ask him?" I retorted, yawning widely.  
  
"Well, now." She looked taken aback. "I see that I will have trouble with you."  
  
"Quick question. Do you see the Belfast Podmice making it to the Quidditch Finals this year? I've got some money on them."  
  
"Did you see the look on Trelawney's face?"  
  
"That girl's got guts!"  
  
"Merlin, that was good."  
  
Voices all around me talked about my verbal spat with Trelawney and Harry and Ron seemed amused by the whole thing.  
  
"I've been wishing to do that for ages and you do it on your first day!" Ron exclaimed in awe.  
  
"She bugged me." I waved at Hermione who was making her way towards us with a look of utter shock on her face.  
  
"How can you speak to a professor like that?" She demanded of me. "I just heard what you said to Professor Trelawney from Hannah Abbot!"  
  
"Hey! You stormed out on her third year!" Harry reminded her. "Lor was just mocking her. You do that, too."  
  
"Not to her face, I don't! I have the decency of keeping my words private. Anyways, why are you defending her?"  
  
Harry blushed. "Because she's my friend!"  
  
By then we had reached Potions and there was an air of disgust that settled between myself and Hermione. Harry and Ron, God bless them, sat between us, sort of like walls or something.  
  
The Greasy Man from last night had swept into the room, sending an icy shiver down my spine. I read through my schedule to find his name. Severus Snape. He creeps me out.  
  
"Good morning." His voice was as sleazy as his hair. "I'm sure you've heard that the teachers are looking for students who are willing and able to help them over the year."  
  
A murmur of excitement ran through the room.  
  
"Apparently I am mistaken," Snape said, dryly. "The headmaster is requesting that all teachers choose students to assist them throughout the year. Us teachers must choose a student by asking them to complete a task and the one who receives the highest marking shall be the teacher's assistant. Unfortunately, for me, this class is my selection."  
  
"Unfortunately for him?" Ron whispered incredulously. "More like unfortunately for us!"  
  
"The task is to brew an antidote for a doxy's poison. Without instructions." This caused an uproar. "SILENCE! Your finished product should be a light pink color. You may begin."  
  
Ron and Harry sat gaping at each other while Hermione and I began working on our potions. This was a simple enough task. My Potions teach at Ratchell drilled this recipe into my brain last year because the land around our school was buzzing with doxies. There were ate least three bites a day, so I was used to making this potion.  
  
Forty minutes later, I had finished with my potion and it was a very pale pink. Hermione had finished hers about ten minutes earlier, although hers was hot pink, which caused Snape to sneer at her.  
  
"Professor?" I raised my hand and waited for him to examine my potion.  
  
"Well, you've got the coloring right." He took a vile and filled it with my potion. "Would you like to test it?"  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"Very well. Follow me."  
  
I followed him to the front of the class and was aware that every eye was on me. He pulled a box out of his closet and opened it, a pink fairy-like creature emerged. It flew around the room once before its eyes landed on me. It sped towards me and bit my arm, its tiny teeth pricking my skin like needles. I didn't cry out in pain, like most people would. However, most people didn't get bit by doxies on a weekly basis. I calmly grabbed the doxy and handed it to Snape, who was watching me closely. I took a sip of my potion and watched as the bite mark vanished and my skin returned to normal.   
  
"Good. Fifty points to Gryffindor." The room was silent and all of the Gryffindors stared at Snape. From what I've heard, he's never awarded Gryffindor any points. He returned the doxy to the closet and looked out at the class.  
  
"Who else would like to test their antidote?" Pause. Silence. "No one? Just as well. It would be horrible to send someone to the Hospital Wing on the first day." He turned to me. "I would like a word with you after class, Miss Kelsey."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"Class dismissed."  
  
I gave a small smile to the gang as they left the room. Harry was the only one to return it. Ron and Hermione were too busy bickering to notice.  
  
Snape sat down at his desk and motioned for me to sit opposite him. He studied the scar on his right arm before looking up at me.   
  
"Your father speaks very highly of you," he said, sounding almost sincere.  
  
"He's a good guy."  
  
"That he is. Would you like to be my assistant?"  
  
"Um, sure." I was curious as to why Snape was being somewhat nice to me. Remus told me that he wasn't really Gryffindor's best supporter, so I was a little suspicious at his behavior.  
  
"Okay, then."  
  
"Um, Professor, why are you being so nice to me?"  
  
He looked surprised at the question. "I don't think I understand."  
  
"I mean, you're not the nicest guy in the world, especially not to Gryffindors. So why are you being nice to me?"  
  
He was silent for a minute, his dark eyes piercing into mine. "Well, I don't like that Granger girl."  
  
"Hermione?" I laughed.  
  
"Yes. I was delighted when you outscored her. That has never happened in my classroom before."  
  
"So, you're being nice to me because I beat Hermione?"  
  
He shook his head. "Your father's a great man. He's been there for me when no one else has, and I for him. Even after I tried to turn Sirius Black over to the Ministry, Remus still trusted me.  
  
"When we were at school together, James Potter, Black, Peter Pettigrew, and Remus were great friends. James and Black were troublemakers who enjoyed taunting me. Peter laughed along with the others but Remus didn't. He didn't do anything, actually, but he didn't laugh. I've always had a sort of respect for him because of that."  
  
"Is that why you don't like Harry?"  
  
"Yes," he muttered.  
  
I smirked but my face soon turned serious. "Why did you tell me that?"  
  
As if just realizing he'd been spilling his guts out to me, Snape stood up sharply. "You should probably get to class."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Meet me in my office after dinner every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, okay?"  
  
"Yes, sir. Bye."  
  
"Good bye."  
  
I slung my bag over my shoulder and made my way to the Dark Arts classroom, feeling better about Snape. I don't know why the students loathe him so much. Okay, yes, I do. He's an ass. But, I mean, I figure that's all just an act. Inside, he's hurting and he hurts other people because that's all he knows. He grew up being mocked and now he lets out his hurt and frustration by mocking others. As I thought of this, I began to feel bad for him. I decided to take it upon myself to help Snape. I was going to brighten his mood and make him laugh, even if all I get out of him is a smile. He deserves it.  
  
I ran into Remus's classroom and, once again, all eyes fell on me.  
  
"Sorry, I'm late. Professor Snape wanted to talk to me after class," I told Remus.  
  
"Do you have a note to prove this?"  
  
"I have the word of the people who were in class at the time."  
  
"Very well. Take a seat and turn to page 16. We're starting curses and counter curses."  
  
I sat down next to Hermione, who turned all of her attention to studying the diagram on page 16. Harry leaned forward just enough to make eye contact with me as he passed me a note.  
  
Glancing up to make sure Remus wasn't looking, I unfolded the note.  
  
"Lorelai, How'd the meeting with Snape go? I'm dying to hear about it. Maybe you can tell me about it this weekend in Hogsmeade. Do you want to go with me? I'll meet you at the Three Broomsticks for lunch at noon. -Harry"  
  
I could feel myself blushing as I shoved the note in the pocket of my robes. Did Harry just ask me out on a date? I stole a glimpse at him and caught him blushing as well, a little smile tugging at his lips.   
  
"Mr. Potter… Potter… Harry!" Remus waved a hand in front of Harry's face, gaining his attention. "Can you tell me the counter curse for a Disarming Spell?"  
  
"Um… yeah, sure." He glanced my way and his whole face turned a deep shade of red.   
  
Yep. He just asked me out.  
  
Oh, God. 


	4. Finding Out

A Slight Change  
  
Chapter 4- Finding Out  
  
Disclaimer- Everything except the Kelsey's, Ratchell, and Reina belong to people who are not me. Even my He-Man toothbrush has been taken from me. Little brothers are only there to deprive you of your precious belongings.  
  
I sat in the Gryffindor common room, curled up in the overstuffed chair with my nose in a book, which I wasn't really paying attention to. In front of me, Ron and Harry were playing Wizard's Chess. Ron was, of course, winning, but Harry was putting up a great fight. Both boys were concentrating way too hard on the stupid game, but it was cute. Ron's face was red with frustration as Harry's bishop attacked Ron's knight and Harry's green eyes shimmered with excitement.  
  
Next to them, Hermione was busy drawing a diagram of Jupiter's moons for Astronomy. She was quickly glancing from her book to her parchment, checking measurements and brushing the end of her quill against her chin.  
  
I marked the place in my book and told the three of them that I was going to Remus's office. Harry asked if I wanted him to come with me. I said no, but inside I was giggling like a schoolgirl. He lent me his invisibility cloak, however, so I wouldn't be caught roaming the halls.  
  
I reached Remus's office a little past 8. I entered without being noticed and studied Remus as he read through parchments. He had apparently given himself a haircut (more like a trim) that made him look a few years younger than his 34 years of age. His amber eyes flitted across the parchment, sometimes re-reading a sentence for a second or third time before moving on. He seemed so absorbed in his studies, like he wasn't able to do anything else, which was totally unlike me. Five minutes into something, and I'll already be bored.  
  
I removed the invisibility cloak and sat in a desk close to the door for a few minutes, watching him.  
  
He looked up from his work and a smile jumped onto his face as he saw me.  
  
"Lorelai! What are you doing here?"  
  
"I just decided to drop in." I got up from my desk and went to sit in front of Remus. "So, whatcha doing?"  
  
With a sigh, he shoved the parchments away from him. "I was grading first years' reports, but they can wait."  
  
I grinned. "All right."  
  
"How was your first day at school?"  
  
"You're not going to believe this." I told him of all the day's events: telling off Trelawney, being appointed Snape's "assistant", and getting asked out by Harry.  
  
"I knew he liked you," Remus said with a smirk.   
  
"And how, exactly, could you tell?"  
  
"By the way he looked at you. You can always tell someone is in love with you by the way they look at you."  
  
"Do you think he's in love with me?"  
  
"Give it time. So, Severus trusts you enough to let you help him?"  
  
"Guess so. Do you know him well?"  
  
"How do you mean?"  
  
"Well, apparently, y'all are on a fist name basis. And, earlier today, he told me how you never laughed at him while you guys were at school."  
  
"I never laughed because I matured faster than the others."  
  
"Okay, but you and Snape are friends, right?"  
  
"Professor Snape and I are coworkers. Nothing else," he said with a tone of finality. "It's late. You should probably get to bed."  
  
"Probably. Night, Dad."  
  
A small smile fell on his lips. "Good night, love."  
  
Snape had been silent ever since I arrived in his office about ten minutes earlier. Not knowing what to do, I awkwardly sat next to him while he gazed at a letter in front of him. Not wanting to pry, I asked neither who it was from or what it was about. Glancing at it, the handwriting very much resembled Remus's. But why would Remus write Snape a letter?  
  
Trying to get my mind off of that question, I looked at a photo on the corner of his desk. It was of a little girl with raven black hair and olive skin, looking a lot like Snape. However, she had golden eyes that glimmered with laugher.  
  
"Her name's Reina," Snape said, still not looking up from the letter.   
  
"Pretty name. Is she your daughter?"  
  
"Yes. She'll be five on Saturday."  
  
"She looks just like you. Except her eyes."  
  
"She has, um, her mother's eyes."  
  
"She must've been beautiful."  
  
I caught Snape barely nodding. He had finally put the letter away and was now moving swiftly around the room. Still not knowing what to do, I continued staring at the young girl's eyes. They were vaguely familiar.  
  
"She had Remus's eyes," I told Snape, who froze. Got ya.  
  
He turned on his heel and strode towards me. I was afraid that he was going to hex me but once he had arrived in front of me, his face softened.  
  
"Yes. She does have Remus's eyes."  
  
"Was he the one who sent you the letter?"  
  
"Yes."   
  
"Was he the reason you chose me to be your assistant?"  
  
"Partly."  
  
"How long have you two been together?"  
  
He sighed, a look of sadness shadowing his pale face. "We're not."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry."  
  
He waved it off. "Do you mind not talking about it?"  
  
"Oh, sure. So, what do you want me to do? I mean, now that I'm your 'assistant'? Should I paint my nails bright pink and chew bubble gum obnoxiously while singing along to some boy band? You know, this 'assistant' thing needs a new name. Um… now that I'm your… um… 'assistant' works out well, dontcha think?"  
  
I noticed Snape's mouth but he soon gave a sigh of annoyance. "Miss Kelsey, please."  
  
"Okay, sorry." We were silent for a moment before I started to laugh. And I didn't even know what I was laughing at!  
  
Soon, Snape was also chuckling. "Miss Kelsey-"  
  
"Geez, man, lighten up! Call me Lorelai."  
  
"Lorelai, what exactly is so funny?"  
  
"I have no idea."  
  
At that moment, Remus walked in. Snape immediately stopped laughing and stared at his former lover.  
  
"Severus." Remus nodded a greeting before saying to me, "When you're done, can you come to my room?"  
  
"Sure thing, Daddy-o."  
  
He turned to Snape, looking like he wanted to say something but couldn't. Instead, he smiled gravely. "Good night, Severus."  
  
"You, too, Remus." He watched him leave the room and I, once again, felt pity towards him. "You may leave now, Miss Kelsey."  
  
"Lorelai."  
  
"Oh, yes. Sorry."  
  
"All right. You have a good night, Professor."  
  
"And you."  
  
I began to walk away but decided against it. I turned back towards Snape and said, "Talk to him. He'll listen to you."  
  
He nodded and I made my way to Remus's room once again. I know I've only known him for a little over a month but it would've been nice of Remus to tell me that he and Snape had a past so I wouldn't accidentally "stumble upon it". I mean, I have no problem with Remus being… "that way", ya know? I watched Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, gays don't bug me. Sure, it's a little weird knowing they have a daughter together, but I'll get over it.   
  
"I wanna meet her," I announced as I entered Remus's room.  
  
He looked up, startled. "Meet who?"  
  
"Your daughter."  
  
"Now, that would be a little tough, seeing as to how you're my only daughter."  
  
"What about Reina?"  
  
His quill froze mid-sentence. "Who told you?"  
  
"Professor Snape has a picture of her on his desk. He said that she was his daughter. I could tell that but her eyes looked like yours. I told him this and he said that it was your daughter too."  
  
He sighed, gazing off into space. "We thought that we were in love, so we decided to have a child. We found a woman who was willing to carry the baby for us. When Reina was born, the doctor put a simple charm on her eyes so that they were similar to my own. Merlin, I haven't seen her in over two years."  
  
"You can see her when you introduce me."  
  
"I don't think that's one of your better ideas."  
  
"Come on, Dad. She's my sister! Well, half-sister, but still… I want to meet her."  
  
He frowned, then moved over to the fire place. "Severus?"  
  
Snape's head popped into the fire. The lines really stood out on his aged face against the flames. "Yes?"  
  
"Where's Reina?"  
  
"At the moment she's at my house with Trish." Who's Trish?  
  
"Bring her to Hogsmeade."  
  
"Why? She's fine at my house."  
  
"Lorelai wants to see her and so do I."  
  
Snape looked over Remus's shoulder at where I stood. His cold grey eyes stared into mine, almost daring me to blink. And I did. His eyes softened as he turned to Remus.  
  
"Meet me at the Hog's Head at noon."  
  
"You can't bring her to the Hog's Head!" Remus objected.  
  
"Just be there." With a pop, his head vanished.  
  
Remus stood, staring at the fire place.   
  
"Who's Trish?" I asked him.  
  
"Sev's house maid."  
  
I felt so giddy the rest of the week. I was going to meet my sister! But when I saw Harry waiting for me the morning of our trip to Hogsmeade, it felt as if a ton of lead rested in my stomach. Our date. Damn.   
  
"Um, Harry, can we talk?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
We began walking to the town and I glanced nervously at him. "I have to meet someone at the Hog's Head at noon. Do you think we can hang out until then instead?"  
  
"Yeah, of course. If you don't mind me asking, who do you have to meet?"  
  
"My sister."  
  
"All right. Where do you want to go first?"  
  
We went to the Owl Emporium just to marvel at the beautiful creatures and ooh and ahh over the magical animals. After that we stopped in at the Three Broomsticks, where we drank butterbeer and talked about what Ratchell was like, Quidditch, and families. I felt bad that Harry spent such little time with his parents, but my mood lightened when he began speaking of his current caretakers.  
  
"They're brilliant!" He exclaimed. "Remus is the quiet one, who spends a lot of time in the study reading. But Sirius… He is so bloody funny! He is such a prankster. He can take any situation and find something humorous in it."  
  
"Do you miss your parents?"  
  
"Of course. But…" He sighed. "There's not much to miss, is there? I don't remember much about them. All I have are the pictures Remy gave me and the stories he and Sirius tell me."  
  
"I'm sorry." I glanced at my watch, wishing I could freeze time. "Harry, I've got to go."  
  
"Do you want me to come with you?'  
  
"I wish you could but… I'm really sorry. I just… I have to go." I gave him a sad smile and ran down the street to the Hog's Head, ready to meet my little sister. I hope this goes well.  
  
I hope I don't screw this up. I opened the door and braced myself for what's next to come.  
  
A/N: A cliffhanger! Almost! Good news. I got my He-Man toothbrush back. Yay! I don't know if it's just me, but… does anyone else seem to find Gary Oldman sexy? I think it's his eyes. Ah, gorgeous! Anyways, there's chapter four. Next chapter, Lorelai meets Reina and comes to blows with Hermione. I'm sorry, I just never really cared for Hermione that much. She bugs me for some reason. Please REVIEW! Greatly appreciated. Even if it's just to talk about Gary Oldman or David Thewlis. Thanks a lot! 


	5. Letters

A SLIGHT CHANGE  
  
CH.5- LETTERS  
  
DISCLAIMER- You know it. My grandma's here and now I don't even have my room. Sorry, there aren't any separator things but my computer won't save em to the story. I'll make the first word of a new "part" in all caps.   
  
A/N- I know I said Sirius's eyes were brown but I saw a picture and realized that his eyes were blue. Yay, Gary gets to keep his perty eyes! And for his Animagus form, I took the description from the book because I just don't like the Grim. It creeps me out. I also changed Reina's age. Instead of turning five, she's turning six.

THE tavern was dimly lit and smelled of tobacco. Witches, wizards, and all sorts of magical creatures were lurking in the shadows or talking over a pint of fire whiskey. The atmosphere was thick with trouble and suspicion, and when you get those two together, nothing good could ever come out of it. A spark flew right past my ear and struck the man coming in behind me, making him shriek.  
  
"Sorry, lad!" A wizard in ragged clothing yelled.  
  
I surveyed the tavern until I finally caught sight of Remus, who was talking with a young girl while Snape looked on. This is my chance. I can run away now and never have to go through this again. I can pretend I never saw the photograph on Snape's desk. I can forget that Remus and Snape ever had a relationship.  
  
No. I am going to make an appearance. If Reina doesn't like me, so be it, just as long as she knows I exist.   
  
As I made my way towards their table, someone grabbed me around the waist and into a bone crushing hug.  
  
"Hey, Lor!"  
  
I looked into those familiar blue eyes and my jaw dropped. "Sirius? Is that you?"  
  
Sirius Black's grin grew wider. "You like?" He had cut his scraggly hair and now it was slightly spiked and pointing every which way. His goatee was neatly trimmed and sprinkled with grey. He looked like a whole new man. Except for the haunted look in his eyes. But other than that, he looked hot!   
  
"Wow, I… you look great!"  
  
"Thanks. Hey, I saw your dad over there with Snape. I better warn you, Snape's in a foul mood. Watch out."  
  
"Thanks, Siri."  
  
"'Siri'. That's cute."  
  
"Do me a favor: Never say cute again." I gave him a pat on the shoulder and finally made it to Remus's table.  
  
"Lor, you made it." Remus smiled up at me as I took a seat beside him.  
  
"Sorry, I'm late. I ran into Sirius."  
  
"He looks good, doesn't he?"  
  
"I wouldn't have recognized him if he hadn't have mobbed me." I turned to the little girl sitting next to Snape, chewing on a Chocolate Frog. "Hello."  
  
"Hi."  
  
"I'm Lorelai, your, um… your sister."  
  
She looked questioningly at Snape, who nodded. "You're my sister?"  
  
"Sure am."  
  
She hopped out of her seat and crawled into my lap, wrapping her skinny arms around my neck.  
  
"I've always wanted a big sister," she said.  
  
"Well, I can't say that I felt the same way, but I'll give it a shot." I glanced at her shirt. "Do you like the Kicks?"  
  
"'Hello, Hong Kong'." She mock saluted me and burst into a fit of giggles.  
  
"Well, you have good taste. So, what did you get for your birthday? I made you a card."  
  
We chatted until way past four when Snape decided to take Reina home. After promising to write, I gave her a good-bye hug and watched her leave with Snape.  
  
After four hours of talking, I felt as if I grew up having Reina as a sister. As strange as it may seem, I got along really well with the little girl. She seemed so much older than her six years. We talked mostly about music (she likes the Chili Peppers!) but we also touched on the subjects of books and famous wizards. She knew quite a bit, despite her young age. 

"YOU two seemed to get along fairly well," Remus stated as we walked back to Hogwarts.  
  
"She's great! If I had to choose anyone to be my little sister, I'd choose her in a heartbeat."  
  
"That's good."  
  
"Hello, Lupin's!" Sirius popped between us, wrapping one arm around each of our shoulders. "How's it hanging?"  
  
"That doesn't deserve an answer. But, good. And you, buddy?"  
  
"A little to the left, my young lady."  
  
"Sirius!" Remus scolded. "She has virgin ears."  
  
"Bollocks! She's been around me for a month. She's learned."  
  
"More than I needed to," I muttered.  
  
"Ah, there's where you're wrong. You haven't learned enough. Repeat after me: fuckpad."  
  
"What the heck's that mean?"  
  
"No bloody idea, but it sounds brilliant!"

"NOW, your homework is to bring your stuffed rat back as a live rat tomorrow." Professor McGonaggal dismissed the class after a rather unsuccessful lesson of Transfiguration. Ron managed to get his rat's nose to twitch but poor Neville's rat lost its stuffing, leaving just the shell of fabric.  
  
It's been a week since mine and Hermione's disagreement and I've managed to extract a few words from her. Though we still don't talk as much as we did at 12 Grimmauld place, we can carry a conversation, so that's a start.  
  
"That went well. Don't you think?" She asked, cradling her squirming rat, whom she named Michel.   
  
"Just peachy," Ron mumbled, watching the nose of his rat twitch.  
  
Harry reached for my hand, weaving his fingers into mine. sigh  
  
"Whatcha holding Kelsey's hand for, Potter? Scared?" Draco Malfoy appeared in front of us, his white blonde hair glossy.  
  
"Bugger off, Malfoy," Harry snarled.  
  
"Why, are you gonna sic your daddy-in-law on me?"  
  
"Back off, Malfoy." I glared at him as we shoulder past him and continued to Defense Against the Dark Arts, I was still grasping onto Harry's hand.  
  
"Are you two going together?" Ron asked.  
  
"I think so," Harry admitted.  
  
"Yes, we are." I smiled into Harry's eyes as Hermione scoffed.  
  
"You two just met a month ago. Isn't it a little soon?" She enquired.  
  
"I think it's about time," Ron stated.  
  
"Me, too." Harry nodded.

"QUIET down, class." Remus cleared his throat as the class hushed. "Thank you. Today we are going to begin learning about Animagi. Does anyone know what an Animagus is?"  
  
Hermione, of course, raised her hand.  
  
"Yes, Miss Granger?"  
  
"An Animagus is a person who can transform into a chosen animal whenever he or she wishes."  
  
"Correct. Ten points to Gryffindor."  
  
"Way to go, 'Mione!" I congratulated her, but she just huffed. Fine, then. Be that way.  
  
"A dear friend of mine just happens to be an Animagus so please welcome Sirius Black."  
  
Several people gasped loudly as Sirius entered from the door that leads to Remus's dorm. Girls began pointing and giggling, saying how different he looked. Boys were just psyched about having a "murderer" in the classroom. Honestly, guys, don't you read the papers? He's innocent!   
  
Sirius looked slightly nervous but still relished in all of the attention he was receiving. I could practically hear the girls' hearts flutter. He's, like, twenty years older than you! Bad!  
  
"Hello," he said. Everybody in the class replied enthusiastically except Malfoy and his gang. They just made a rude remark about whether or not Remus and Siri were "more than friends". Sometimes I just want to bloody his friggin' face.  
  
"Before we get to studying, does anyone have any questions for Mr. Black?" All the hands flew into the air. "Yes, Miss Cayum?"  
  
A timid looking Slytherin stood up. "Are you really innocent?"  
  
I could see Sirius's jaw clench tightly. "Yes, I am really innocent. Can we please stick to the subject of Animagi, please?"  
  
"Of course, Sirius." Remus nodded to Harry, whose hand was raised.  
  
"What animal is your Animagus form?" Of course, Harry already knew the answer; he knows just about everything about Sirius.  
  
"Good question. My Animagus form is that of a big, black dog. It's about the size of the Newfoundland breed. Large and fluffy."  
  
"Let's see it," Malfoy said with a sneer.  
  
Sirius shrugged. "Okay. Those with a weak stomach might want to leave."  
  
Nobody left.  
  
Sirius took a final glance at Remus before his face took that of a dog. (AN- I don't really know how they transform. Sorry.) His nose grew into his mouth, forming a snout and his blue eyes became rounder than usual. Black hair covered his body, leaving no part untouched. He hunched over and a tail sprouted from his behind, causing people to groan, Finally, a dog stood before us, panting slightly.  
  
"He's so cute!"  
  
"May we pet him?"  
  
Remus looked down at Sirius, asking, "Can they pet you?"  
  
In response, the dog rolled over onto his back, awaiting a belly rub. Several people chuckled at this doggy antic. When class ended, almost all of the students stayed behind, seeing as to this was the last class on Thursdays.   
  
I stood next to Remus, watching Sirius being spoiled by the girls.   
  
"He's in Heaven," I commented.  
  
"And he's loving every minute of it."  
  
"Will he be here tomorrow?" A Gryffindor asked.  
  
"We'll see."  
  
"Okay. Bye, Sirius. Take it easy, Professor."  
  
After everyone left, except Ron, Harry, and myself, (Hermione had to go to the library) Sirius nudged my hand with his wet nose. I pet the huge dog, sitting down next to him and trying to figure out what was wrong with Hermione. We were doing fine until she found out that Harry and I was seeing each other. Was she jealous? I doubt it. I'm pretty sure she has a thing for Ron. Then what's her problem?  
  
"Ron and I are going to dinner," Harry told me. "See ya later?"  
  
I nodded, forcing a smile. "You bet."   
  
"All right." He left, with Ron following him. Sirius walked into Remus's dorm and emerged back in his human form, still wearing his Muggle clothing: blue jeans and a black sweater. (AN- I think black sweaters are sexy.)  
  
"I noticed something during class," Remus started. "Miss Granger was giving you the cold shoulder. Why's that?"  
  
"I don't really know. I don't think… She was kind of upset when she found out that I was going out with Harry, but I don't think she's jealous."  
  
"She's jealous all right," Sirius said, lighting a cigarette. "She thinks you're stealing her friends."  
  
"What makes you think that?"  
  
"Well, you're an outgoing kid, unlike Hermione, and you're easy to talk to. You joke around a lot and you're into Quidditch. You're the total opposite of Hermione and just the type of friend the boys need. That makes Hermione jealous because the boys want to hang out with you instead of her."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Just try to include her in your things." He blew a perfect smoke ring as Remus looked on, disgusted.  
  
"You are slowly killing yourself."  
  
"Well, you've got to go someday, right?" He smirked.  
  
"How long are you staying?" I asked him.  
  
"Dunno. However long Dumbledore'll let me. All those damn Death Eaters are still after me just because they don't like me."  
  
"So you're safer here."  
  
"Yep. But I can't stay here forever." He ran a hand through his newly cropped hair and sighed. "I get restless very easily."  
  
"You speak the truth." Remus nodded knowingly.  
  
Sirius stood up quickly. "Time to eat."  
  
"All righty. Ya wanna sit with us, Siri?"  
  
"You called me Siri again."  
  
"And you think it's adorable."  
  
"So?" He stuck out his elbow to be and I latched on as Remus trailed behind, a small smile on his lips.

__

_I'M all at sea, where no one can bother me  
  
Forgot my roots, if only for a day  
  
Just me and my thoughts, sitting far away…  
_  
Jamie Cullum's voice sang me to my own sea, where I was deep in though. What Sirius said, could it be true? Did Hermione actually think that I was trying to steal her best friends from her? That's crazy! I'll have to talk to her later, maybe try and talk some sense into her. In the meantime, I'll just take Jamie Cullum's advice and forget my roots while I get lost at sea….

"LOR… Lor, you've got an owl. Lorelai, wake up!"  
  
I felt my cheek hit the cold hard floor as I was pushed out of bed. I groaned, rubbing the side of my face, as I looked into the bright green eyes of… Ron.  
  
"You're not allowed in the girls' dorm. How'd you get in here?"  
  
"'Mione let me follow her."  
  
I looked at Becks, who was quietly nibbling Ron's ear. "Why didn't Becks just bring it to me?"  
  
"Oh, it was addressed to Lupin and I ran into him in the hall so I volunteered to bring it to you."  
  
"Well, thanks."  
  
"I'm gonna go now." He raced down the corridor and I laughed as the stairs turned to a slide and he toppled down to the common room.  
  
I took the rolled up parchment and looked at it. It was from my mom.  
  
_Lorelai,  
  
I'm sorry I didn't right sooner but I was scared. Of what? I don't know. Probably the fact that I might still be in love with Remus or someone else. You're probably rolling your eyes at me right now ( and I was) but I don't know.  
  
Anyways, how's he treating you? Good, I hope. Nothing's changed here. I got a puppy though. A little boxer pup. I named him Moony Padfoot, which were Remus and Sirius's nicknames. He's a cutie.  
  
How's Hogwarts? Have you met Harry Potter? (I laughed. If only she knew.) I hope you're having fun.  
  
Oh, on one final note to make you jealous: I saw Bon Jovi in concert. (I gasped. Nuh-uh!) Yep. I saw him shake his oh-so-fine-leather-clad booty.   
  
I asked Remus if I could come see you during Christmas Break. I hope I can.   
  
I love you, sweetie.  
  
Mom  
_  
I jumped up and down on my bed, laughing happily. I might see my mom at Christmas! That would be the best Christmas present.  
  
I took a shower and put on my Muggle clothes since today was Saturday. I went to the almost vacant common room and caught Remus and Sirius talking with Harry.  
  
"Good morning, sleepyhead," Sirius greeted.  
  
"Mornin', Siri. Um, Dad, can I talk to you?"  
  
"Sure."   
  
I led Remus to a secluded corner where I hope nobody heard us.  
  
"I got a letter from Mom…. Why is your nickname Moony?"  
  
He laughed softly. " Back at school,. I hung out with a group of guys and we called ourselves the Marauders. We all had nicknames that dealt with our Animagus- or unintentional- forms. James Potter was Prongs because he was a deer. Sirius was Padfoot, since he was a dog. Peter Pettigrew was a rat so we called him Wormtail. And I, a werewolf, became Moony."  
  
"Oh. Now it makes sense."  
  
"Did she tell you about Christmas break?"  
  
"Yes, and now I've got my hopes up." I added a big smile in hopes of getting him to say yes.   
  
"Did she tell you anything else?"   
  
"She said she looooooves you," I said in a sing-song voice.  
  
He grinned broadly. "Really?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Um, splendid! I'll go owl her now." He ran off to his dorm and I rejoined Harry and Sirius.  
  
"So... What's Moony so happy about?" Sirius asked.  
  
"He figured something out."  
  
"Ooh, cryptic. What'd he figure out?"  
  
"He'll tell you if he wants you to know."  
  
"You are so much like your mother. You're both impossible."  
  
"You knew Mom well, then?" I asked, eyes bright.  
  
"Oh, yes. I dated her for a while."  
  
"Serious?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"No, I mean, are you serious?"  
  
"Did you really date her mom?" Harry rephrased my question exasperatedly.  
  
"Yeah, I did. She was the first girl I ever really loved."  
  
"That's hard to believe," Harry mumbled.  
  
"Shut up." He playfully shoved his godson, laughing. Wow, it's been so long since he laughed and, now that he's a free man, it seems to be all he's doing. It's kind of nice actually.  
  
"No really. I loved Tina." He smiled in reminiscence. "We met at a party that my mom threw when we were 13. After we met, we spent loads of time together. She was great and we had such a good time together. We would cause trouble and laugh and just do things that lovers do. When I ran away to the Potters', she would still come and visit." He turned to me and asked, "What's she doing now? Is she seeing anyone?"  
  
"Well, um, I'm not entirely sure. I mean, she might have met somebody while I was gone." I didn't want to tell him that she might still have feelings for Remus, because that would surely hurt him. Great, now I'm torn between wanting Mom to get back with my father and Sirius wanting to get with Mom. It's a friggin' love triangle. It's time for a pro and con list.  
  
The good things about Remus: 1. He fathered her only child. 2. He obviously still loves her and she might feel the same. 3. He's a great guy. The bad things: 1. He's a werewolf. 2. He's got other responsibilities with Reina.  
  
Time to "pro" Sirius: 1.They seemed to get along well and have fun together. 2. He has some sort of feelings towards her. I mean, she was his first love and all. 3. He's fun to be around. 4. He's good-looking (always a plus). The bad: 1. He's an ex-convict. 2. He's known as a "player" or "womanizer".  
  
Well, they both have two cons but Sirius has more pros, so… why the hell am I letting a stupid list choose for me? And why's it choosing for me? Mom's the one who's gonna be dating the guy! Who would I rather her be with?  
  
Geez, I don't know.  
  
Remus, my father? Well, yeah.  
  
Sirius, my friend? Quite a possibility.  
  
Jesus Christ, help me.

AN- Sorry it took so long. We've been in Germany for the past two weeks but I'm back. I've already finished the next three chapters so they should be up soon. Thanks for sticking with me. Oh, you guys have got to see Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. It's hilarious. It's kind of hard to understand but it's funny nonetheless. It's now one of my favorite Gary Oldman movies behind The Professional and The Fifth Element. 


	6. Choices

A SLIGHT CHANGE  
  
CH. 6- CHOICES  
  
DISCLAIMER- I'm only 14, I have nothing of my own. Except the people and objects I've mentioned before. Darn. Also, I'm already mad that Gary Oldman and David Bowie are taken and now you're trying to take the only things that are my very own? Geez…  
  
AN- What was I supposed to say? (flips through notebook) Um… nothing. But if I think of something, I'll be sure to tell you. Oh, and Destiny Bunny? Thanks a lot… not only for reviewing but for saying "holy poop". I will now commence on spreading that saying around all of Virginia. Thank you.  
  
I didn't get much sleep for the next month because my nights were overshadowed by thoughts of someone getting hurt this coming Christmas break. Mom had to choose between Sirius and Remus and I wasn't much help. I love them both. But, this is her choice, you know? This will affect both her life and mine.   
  
"Lor, we're going to be late," Hermione told me, rushing into the girls dormitories.   
  
"I'm ready." I picked up my trunk and Becks's cage, following Hermione to the train.  
  
Once aboard the Hogwarts Express, we played several games of Exploding Snaps and Questions and later told stories, but I wasn't paying attention to any of them. I was busy thinking or daydreaming. It varied. I'd start out thinking about what it'd be like if Sirius was my dad and then Sirius would somehow turn into Will Ferrell, thus beginning the daydream. Dude, that would be sweet! Will Ferrell as my dad… anyways, I tried wondering who would be a better dad but then I felt guilty for comparing my own father to someone else. So I just stopped thinking about it.   
  
I took out y c.d. player, popped in the latest Lit c.d. and drifted away.  
  
AS WE drove home from Platform 9 ¾ (Mrs. Weasley picked us up), Ron's mom filled us in with the latest news, all the while stealing excited glances at me. Am I really that sexy? Nah, just kidding.  
  
"Well, here we are!" She announced. She smiled at the figure on the front porch. Watching as the person stepped into the light, I let out a delighted scream.  
  
"Mom!" I jumped into my mother's arms, laughing joyously. "You came!"  
  
"No, I'm just the holographic form of your mother. Your real mother is in Tahiti with Scott Patterson and Simple Plan. I'm sorry, but you're not top on her agenda."   
  
"Funny.'  
  
"I thought so." She looked at my new friends and smiled. "Hi, I'm Lorelai's mom, Princess Consuela Bananahammock."  
  
"Oh, hello, Princess Bananahammock," Ron said seriously, extending his hand.  
  
"I think she's joking, Ron," Harry said out of the corner of his mouth.  
  
Meanwhile, Mom and I were busy laughing our asses off, just as Sirius Apparated right in front of us, knocking Mom over. Reflexively, Sirius held out his arms, catching her gracefully. They both stared at each other before Sirius leaned in for a kiss. Go, Siri, go!  
  
"Hi," Mom said breathlessly, right before he… pulled away. Argh!  
  
Sirius cleared his throat, setting Mom back on her feet. "Hi. How've you been?"  
  
"Good. You?"  
  
"I've been in jail."  
  
"Oh, geez, Siri, I'm sorry."  
  
Siri? I cocked an eyebrow at the name bearer, who smiled warmly. She's the one who gave him that nickname.  
  
"Don't worry about it."  
  
"Um, why don't we show you to your room, Tina? Lorelai, you'll be staying with Hermione and Ginny, like last time." Mrs. Weasley ushered us inside and began to escort us to our rooms.   
  
"Now, Tina, there are two free beds: One in Tonks's room and one in Remus and Sirius's room. I must tell you though, Tonks sleepwalks so… Which would you like? I didn't know whether or not you wanted to stay with Remus given your past." At that she quickly glanced at me.  
  
"I think I'll just stay with Tonks."  
  
"Okay, then. Right this way, dear."  
  
WHEN Remus arrived later that evening, there was an apparent change in Mom's attitude. Whenever she was around him, there were awkward silences and nervous demeanors. But with Sirius, it was different. They acted like a couple of kids, playing and joking around, which was cute. It was then that I saw how well they got along. They were like brother and sister. I want her to be with Sirius (and I can do this cuz I'm the author) They are so perfect together!  
  
"Oh, Lorelai!" Mom sang, wandering into my room as I was unpacking my things.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I've got at question…. Regarding your father."  
  
"I'm listening."  
  
"Okay, well, I think I'm falling for Sirius but I don't know how to tell Remus because he told me that he still loves me. He said that you told him that I still love him."  
  
"Well, that's what you said!"  
  
"I said I might! I don't! I'm over him."  
  
"Oh. Um, whoops?"  
  
"Geez, Lor. Anyways, what should I tell him?"  
  
I sat down next to her on the bed as Becks sat on my knee. I stroked his brown feathers, thinking. "Well, just say that I jumped to conclusions when I read your letter. Say that you will always love him but you two just weren't right for each other. I don't know, Mom. Just say what you feel."  
  
"Thanks, Oprah."  
  
"No problem." I paused as a grin spread across my face." So, you like Sirius."  
  
I could see her blush and she smiled like a schoolgirl. "Yes. Oh, Lor, he's great! He's funny, fun, cute, smart, and… he said that I was his first love. Isn't that sweet?"  
  
"Sickly sweet."  
  
"Thanks. But he's just so amazing. He makes me feel special."  
  
"You don't need him to make you feel special."  
  
"Aw, that's sweet."  
  
"Wasn't meant to be. It was an insult, Mom. Special? Ed? Put two and two together and get five." I rolled my eyes just as Harry walked in, holding something behind his back. He looked so cute with his toussled hair mischievous smirk.  
  
"Hey, Lor. Miss Kelsey."  
  
"Please, just call me Tina."  
  
"Yes, ma'am." He turned to me. "Ron and I were in the backyard, looking for some gnomes that have been giving Tonks trouble, when I stumbled upon these." He held out a bouquet of snapdragons and I smiled as he handed them to me. "I remember you saying that these were your favorite."  
  
"Harry, I think I'm falling in love with you," I admitted.  
  
He shrugged. "It's not hard." He laughed, not realizing that what he said was so true. "I think I'm falling in love with you, too."  
  
"Kodak moment," Mom interrupted.  
  
Harry blushed. "Um, it's also time for supper. Mrs. Weasley made turkey and some mashed potatoes."  
  
"Sounds great." Mom smiled at him. "We'll be down in a minute."  
  
"All right." He left the room and my immature mother turned towards me, making kissy faces. I swear, she is not 34.  
  
"He's cute."  
  
"Yes, he is."  
  
"So… can I date Sirius?"  
  
"You need my permission?"  
  
"Well, I mean, he's a part of your life now. He's your father's best friend and your boyfriend's godfather. He might even be my boyfriend someday and I just wanted to make sure it's okay with you."  
  
"Of course it's okay. Y'all are good together."  
  
"Thank you so much." She hugged me tightly. "I love ya, sweetie."  
  
"Love ya, too, Mom."  
  
I SAT in bed that night, reading the latest issue of the Muggle magazine MOJO while Hermione read over her Arithmancy book. Things were starting to work out between us again. We were talking and joking around a lot more and I was really enjoying spending time with her. She apologized about getting pissy about mine and Harry's relationship. She even said that she was really happy for us. I don't know whether she was just saying that, but it sounded sincere so I was happy.  
  
"Hey, Lorelai?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
Hermione sat her book in her lap and looked me straight in the eye. "Please, just don't hurt him."  
  
I held her gaze steadily, saying, "I wouldn't dare. Trust me, 'Mione, I'm in love with him."  
  
"Good." She paused. "He's one of my best friends and people have hurt him before. I don't want to see it happen again."  
  
"You won't."  
  
She smiled and resumed reading her book as Sirius walked in. He put a caring hand on her shoulder and smiled warmly at her. They chattered for a moment before Sirius beckoned me out into the hallway. He studied the poster on our bedroom door, his face confused.  
  
"Who are they again? I know they're one of Harry's favorite bands but I keep forgetting who they are."  
  
"The Sex Pistols." I laughed at the face he made. "Kind of hard to forget, huh?"  
  
"Um, yes. Anyway, I need to ask you something…"  
  
"Regarding my mother?"  
  
"Yeah. How'd you know?"  
  
"ESP, my friend." I made weird gestures around my head. "I can read your mind, Sirius Black."  
  
"Really?" He asked, incredulous.  
  
"No."  
  
"Oh, right, well, I think-"  
  
"You're falling for my mom."  
  
"That two times now that you've read my mind!"  
  
"I had this same exact conversation with Mom earlier."  
  
"Okay. Can I date her?"  
  
"Why do you people always need my permission? Geez, yes."  
  
He let out a long breath as he grinned broadly. "Great. That's great. Thanks a lot, Lor."  
  
"You're welcome. Are you gonna go ask her?"  
  
""Well, um, I already did," he said sheepishly.  
  
"You did, huh? What'd she say?"  
  
Did I just see Sirius Black blush? "She said yes."  
  
"That's great! I'm really glad you did this. Did my dad seem to mind?"  
  
"He talked to me earlier, after I asked her out. He said that he was glad to finally see her happy, really happy. When he said that though… he didn't look glad. In fact, he looked regretful. I don't want to do this if Remus really does love her. He's my best friend, you know?"  
  
"I know, Siri. Look, I talked to Mom earlier about this and she's not in love with Dad. She thought she might've been but she's not. She' falling for you and the only thing you can do is give it a chance. The two of you are good for each other and, who knows? Y'all might end up getting married!"  
  
At this, Sirius jumped a foot in the air and backed away from me with his hands in the air.   
  
"Geez, kid, don't scare me like that!"  
  
"What, are you afraid of commitment or something?"  
  
He returned to his seat next to me and I realized that I hit the nail smack dab on the head.  
  
The look on his prematurely lined face turned soft as he nodded. "Before your mom, I'd never really loved someone. Not even my own family. In school, sure, I dated. A lot. But I never loved the girls."  
  
"But you loved the guys!" I joked.  
  
He rolled his eyes and continued. "When my mom threw that arty and Tina showed up…" He smiled in reminiscence. "It was love at first sight. We spent the whole night out on the roof, talking and laughing. That's where we had our first kiss. And first make-out session. We dated for well over a year- almost two- and I knew I loved her.  
  
"When I realized that I didn't just love her- that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her- I flipped! I just didn't know how to react about that so I left. You have no idea how many times I wanted to run back to her but when I finally had the balls to try it, I heard that she had had Remus's baby and moved to California with him."  
  
I let all of that digest. All this time, I could have had Sirius as a father and grown up with him by my side instead of with no dad at all. Boy, that would've made a difference. Maybe I would have grown up in a nice neighborhood with kids instead of in the middle of a forest with the closest neighbor four miles away. Maybe I would've had someone to talk magic with.. Maybe Mom and I would've had a better life.  
  
Not that our life sucked. I mean, it wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great, wither. Mom worked two jobs so she could pay for rent and the bills: during the day, she was the secretary for some guy at a business called Macca and at night, she was a bartender at the local bar. She didn't make much money but it was enough to put food on our plates and school books in my bag.  
  
"Why were you so afraid to fall in love?" I asked, suddenly angry at him and his stupid commitophobia. "Mom and I could have had a better life if you hadn't have left! You could've been my father! I could've had an actual father instead of dreaming about the dad I would never have. But now that I finally found my dad, Mom's gone and fallen in love with the guy who left her!"  
  
"Lorelai, listen!" He had placed both of his hands on my trembling shoulders and pulled me into a hug so that I could cry into his shirt. "Lor, I'll make it up to you, I swear. I'm not afraid to love anymore. I lost my loved ones years ago. First, your mother. Than, Lily and James and the life I loved, when I went to Azkaban. Life in prison has changed me. At first, I though 'Hell, if I don't ever loved anyone, I won't get hurt again'. I was just fooling myself. If I never loved again, I would only relive those 12 years in Azkaban over and over again, everyday of my life. I can love now and I will love you and your mother."  
  
"Me, too, huh?" I asked, wiping the back of my hand across my eyes.  
  
"You bet."  
  
"Cool." I pulled away from him and playfully ruffled his hair. "You're a good guy."  
  
"I know." He smirked. "Now let's talk about you and Harry. You two haven't shagged yet, have you?"  
  
"Sirius!"  
  
"You're too young."  
  
I WAS lazily levitating my book over my head, trying to read it but to no avail. I rolled my eyes and lowered my wand, watching the Iris Johansen novel fall to the floor. Looking out the window, I jumped back, startled, as Harry zoomed past my window on his Firebolt with Ron right on his tail. Quidditch again? I glanced around the backyard to see who else was playing. All of the Weasley kids, with Ginny as Keeper, Sirius, Tonks, and even Remus was out there.  
  
When I saw Remus, I felt a pang in my heart (LAME). This man was trying to be the father he never was but was failing miserably. My head saw him as my father but my heart held that spot for Sirius. I didn't intend for it to, but he just seemed like more of a dad to me. He hung out with me, he joked around with me, he was easier to talk to- I don't know. He just seemed to fit. It was a natural thing, ya know?  
  
"Lorelai, come play!" Ginny yelled through the window.  
  
"All right! Be right down!" I grabbed my birthday present from Mom, a Nimbus 2004, and ran down the stairs, nearly knocking the gift giver down.  
  
"Hey, Mom!" As I ran out the door, I yelled over my shoulder, "Congrats!"  
  
I heard her mutter something before laughing out loud.  
  
AN- Sorry it's not as long as the last chapter. I just wanted to get the relationships sorted out. For those of you who aren't into slash, I suggest you stop reading. It's not very physical but it's a really deep emotional relationship between Remus and Severus. Just wanted you to know. The next chapter should be up later today. Death Eaters return and some must go to war. Ooh…suspense. All right. I'm gonna go before I embarrass myself further. Later! 


	7. Miles Apart

A SLIGHT CHANGE  
  
CH. 7- MILES APART  
  
AN- Wow, this is the quickest update I've ever done. My Ch.6 isn't showing up and that's making me mad. So, if it never shows up, here's what happened. Sirius and Tina began dating. That's about it. It wasn't a very long chapter. Um, thanks to all who reviewed. Made me happy. Uh… Gary Oldman's hot? Sorry, can't think of anything else to say.  
  
DISCLAIMER- I own nothing except what you know I own. Geez, I have nothing! Don't make it any worse by saying that I can't have Jon Bon Jovi either. (sniff) Pretty…  
  
If I could I would do all of this again  
  
Travel back in time with you to where this all began  
  
We could hide inside ourselves and leave the world behind  
  
And make believe there's something left to find  
  
We'll be miles apart  
  
I'll keep you deep inside  
  
You're always in my heart  
  
A new life to start  
  
I may be leaving but you're always in my heart  
  
Now we've all grown up, gone on and moved away  
  
Nothing I can do about it, nothing I can say  
  
To bring us back to where we were when life was not this hard   
  
(life was not this hard)  
  
Looking back it all just seems so far, so far away  
  
We'll be miles apart  
  
I'll keep you deep inside  
  
You're always in my heart  
  
A new life to start  
  
I may be leaving but you're always in my heart  
  
I'd give it up for just one more day with you  
  
Give it up for just one more day  
  
I'd give it up for just one more day with you  
  
I'd give it up for just one more day with you  
  
Give it up for just one more day  
  
I'd give it up for just one more day with you  
  
I'd give it up for just one more day with you  
  
Give it up, give it all away  
  
I'd give it up for just one more day with you  
  
We'll be miles apart  
  
I'll keep you deep inside  
  
You're always in my heart  
  
A new life to start  
  
I may be leaving but you're always in my heart  
  
I need you now, we're miles apart  
  
I'll keep you deep inside  
  
You're always in my heart  
  
I need you now, we're miles apart  
  
I may be leaving but you're always in my heart  
  
"MILES APART" - YELLOWCARD  
  
"LORELAI, come on! It's Christmas!" Pause. "Lazy Americans."  
  
"I heard that." I rolled over in bed and was greeted by all of the kids. "Morning."  
  
"Good morning," they chorused.  
  
"Get outta bed!" George wrenched the covers off of me as Fred rolled me out of bed. "It's time to open presents!"  
  
I grabbed my Scooby-Doo robe and we ran downstairs to the living room where everyone was gathered around the Christmas tree. Mom and Sirius were sitting on the couch, holding hands, with Tonks beside them. Remus was standing next to Mom with a smile on his face as he listened to Mr. And Mrs. Weasley tell a story. Mad Eye Moody was there, too, and he nodded a greeting as we sat down on the floor. I'd met him over the summer and we got along pretty well. He was big into the Dark Arts and he helped me out with the Stunning Spell. He was a cool dude.  
  
"Remus, they're awake! Can we open presents now?" Tonks begged Remus, who nodded with a twinkle in his eyes. Ooh, idea! Remus and Tonks! Hmm….  
  
Mom grabbed a present, read the nametag, and handed it to Mad Eye. "It's from Hermione."  
  
Mad Eye thanked Hermione and ripped open the package with a smile on his face. I bet he already knew what was in it thanks to his magic eye. It was the latest version of Dark Magic for Dark Wizards.   
  
The next hour or so was spent opening presents. Harry got me a Sid Vicious t-shirt and a beautiful necklace with LK&HP engraved in the heart pendant. I had bought him a couple of old Clash c.d.'s and a watch much like the Weasley's clock. It had Ron, Hermione, Sirius, mine, and his names on it.   
  
Mr. Weasley was in awe of my c.d. player and tried to take it apart several times before Mad Eye put a curse on it so he couldn't break it.  
  
"So, great Christmas, huh?" Ron surveyed, eating his Chocolate Frogs. He looked at his wizard card and scowled. "Magnus Morelli again."  
  
"Awesome Christmas!" Hermione really enjoyed Remus's gift that consisted of several books on werewolves and Animagi. We had all decided to become Animagi so that we, too, could help Remus with his Transformation. His last one was this past Saturday.   
  
"No complaints," I remarked.  
  
"Except for Mum's sweaters." Ron began scratching at his green wool. "Mine's hideous."  
  
"But it's not nearly as bad as Lor's," Harry said, putting an arm around my bright pink shoulders. "Pink and brown don't match very well, do they?"  
  
"Not at all." Ron glanced quickly at me. "Is Sirius dating your mum, Lor?"  
  
"Um, yeah. Why?"  
  
"I was just wondering. Ever since your mum got here, her and Sirius have been flirting and stuff. I didn't know if they were dating or what."  
  
"Isn't that a little weird though?" Hermione asked me. "I mean, Sirius is Harry's godfather and Harry's your boyfriend." Wow, thanks for clearing that up.  
  
"But Harry and Sirius aren't blood-related so it doesn't matter," I countered.  
  
"Kids!" I turned to see Tonks running over to us, her hair now light blue and spiked. She stopped and put a hand on Ron's shoulder, panting to catch her breath.   
  
"I'm good." She inhaled, held her breath for a few seconds, and then let it out in one long whoosh. "Remus just proposed to Tina."  
  
"HE WHAT?!?" I ran at break-neck speed into the house where Remus and Sirius were having a heated argument but Mom was nowhere to be found.  
  
"What the hell's your problem? She's my girlfriend!"  
  
"She's the mother of my child!"  
  
"Well, Snivellus Snape is the father of your child, too!" At this, Remus was on top of Sirius, punching and kicking.  
  
"STOP IT!"  
  
They stopped and stared at Mom, who was standing at the base of the stairs.  
  
"What did you say, Sirius?" She asked, her voice eerily calm.  
  
"When?" He wiped his bleeding nose with the back of his hand.  
  
"About Severus."  
  
"Remus didn't tell you?"  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"You might want to sit down." He went on to tell Mom about the relationship between Remus and Snape while she listened intently, not once looking at Remus. I felt bad for both of them. I mean, Mom never knew about Remus's "other life" and Remus had to deal with Sirius telling Mom and not himself.  
  
When Sirius was done, she finally looked at her ex-lover. There was a mix of hurt, surprise, and pity in her tear-filled eyes.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked, her throat constricted with emotions.  
  
"I didn't think you wanted to know."  
  
"Didn't want to know? Remus, we were best friends and I love you. I always will. You know all of my secrets and I thought I knew all of yours. We can't get married."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
She paused. "You've heard of that show Friends, right?" He shook her head and Mom sighed. "Well, there are two characters, Ross and Rachel. They love each other so much, but they just don't work together, relationship-wise. Just like you and me. I will always love you, nut I also love Sirius. I love him in a way that I never thought possible and I've felt this way for the past twenty years. I'm sorry, Remus." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before running upstairs. I tired to follow her but Sirius grabbed my arm.  
  
"Give her some time to herself." He took a long sip of his butterbeer and turned to Remus. "Rem, I'm really sorry for lashing out at you."  
  
Remus didn't answer. He just turned on his heel and went out to the forest behind the house. This time, Sirius let me follow him, and I followed him to where Buckbeak was. I bowed to the hippogriff and sat down beside Remus, petting Buckbeak's silky feathers.  
  
"I thought she loved me.," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.  
  
"She does love you, but in a different way. She loves you like she loves her first real love. The way a woman should love the father of her only child." I laid my head on his shoulder and smiled faintly. "I had my first love when I was 13 years old. His name was Josh Matthews. We went out for over 10 months before he moved. Ever since he left, I've always had a place in my heart for him, just like Mom does for you. You never forget your first love."  
  
"What about Sirius? I thought he was her first boyfriend. Wouldn't that make him her first love?"  
  
"Nope. Not everyone loves their first boyfriend. She was Siri's first love, though. He told me." When Remus didn't respond, I looked him straight in the eye and said, "Ask Tonks out."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"I saw the way you were looking at her."  
  
"And how is that?"  
  
"The same way Mom looks at Sirius. Or the way Snape looks at you."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"You like her. And I think she likes you."  
  
He was silent for a few moments before turning to me with a sly grin. "Oh, yeah?"  
  
THE DAY before Christmas break was supposed to end, I caught Remus and Tonks hugging in the kitchen. They asked me not to tell anyone, though, because they wanted to keep it a secret. I don't blame them. Remus proposed to my mom a little under a week ago and now he's going out with Tonks. At first, I thought he only agreed with me because he wanted to get over Mom, but after seeing him and Tonks together, I quickly changed my mind. I can't believe they didn't get together years before.  
  
"I don't want to say good-bye to you again," Mom whined as I was putting my clothes in my trunk.  
  
"Then don't. It's not really good-bye. I'll see you in about three months. Plus, now you've got Sirius." I latched my trunk shut and smiled at Mom. "Are you staying here with him?"  
  
"I can't. My puppy's at home all by himself."  
  
"Sirius can go with you to get him."  
  
"I'm just gonna Apparate there, get my things, and Apparate back. It won't take that long."  
  
"So, you are staying here."  
  
"Maybe…"  
  
Right then, Hermione rushed in, looking frazzled. (AN- Frazzled… hehe.) "Dumbledore's here. He said the Death Eaters are back, and they're not just after Sirius. They want us all."  
  
"All of us? But why?" It was bad enough knowing that the Death Eaters wanted to kill Sirius but now they want us all dead?  
  
"I have no idea. But Dumbledore wants us to go into hiding. He's got a place up in the mountains in Sweden that we can go to."  
  
"Sweden?" I suddenly had an idea. "Why don't we go back to our house in Cali, Mom?"  
  
Her eyes brightened. "They'll never look there!"  
  
I ran downstairs and saw Dumbledore's tall, slender body, along with Snape and the rest of the gang.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore, why don't we all go back to my mom's house in California? It's in a small town called San Pedro, it's secluded in the woods, and it's about a mile from the beach." I waited for his answer and, soon, his blue eyes twinkled.  
  
"That sounds marvelous. Severus will accompany you all .He is well trained in the Dark Arts."  
  
"But so is Lupin!" Harry objected.  
  
"And Snape used to be a Death Eater! He might still be one!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"Guys, just let him come," I tried to reason. "He's not still a Death Eater. He'll give us added protection."  
  
Snape gave me a thankful nod as the kids gave me weird looks. What? He's a good guy.  
  
"She's got a point," Hermione finally said. Though, he did look a bit uncomfortable, agreeing with me that Snape is a positive thing to us.  
  
"It's settled then," Dumbledore announced with a clap of his hands. "You all shall go to Tina's house. You adults can Apparate there and the kids will use Floo powder."  
  
As the adults went to gather there things, Dumbledore pulled Hermione, Ron, Harry and me to the side.  
  
"It would be best if you decided now what you want you Animagus form to be."  
  
Harry answered first. "A deer… like my dad."  
  
"A wolf. I know that Professor Lupin is a werewolf but they travel in packs, don't they?" Hermione waited while the elderly wizard nodded. "So two- or even three- wolves wouldn't seem suspicious."  
  
"I'll be a wolf, too," Ron decided.  
  
Everyone looked at me, waiting for my answer. I wanted to be a wolf also to help my dad out a little, but there were already three wolves. Should I be a deer, too, along with Harry? Nah, I never really liked deer. Maybe I can be a big dog, like Sirius. Only I could be a big, white dog.  
  
"I want to be a dog. Like Sirius."  
  
Dumbledore nodded. He pointed to each of us with a long, skinny finger, muttering something. I felt something swell inside me, like someone was blowing up my heart.  
  
"I added a piece of the animal's heart to your own," he told us. "Whenever you wish to change forms, concentrate on your animal and you will transform."  
  
"Thanks, professor," we said in unison.  
  
"Okay. Now, you all have transported by Floo powder, correct?" We nodded. "Very well. Lorelai, you will go first, since you obviously know where you're going." (AN- Don't ask why Tina has Floo network. It made the story easier.)  
  
"Yes, sir." I grabbed a handful of the powder and stood in the fireplace. "The Crap Shack!" I yelled, throwing the powder to the ground. As I felt the familiar pulling sensation in my stomach, I could hear everybody laughing at the name of our house. When Mom and I moved into the house, we decided to name it. I mean, if presidents could name their houses, so could we.  
  
I flew out of the fire place in the Crap Shack's living room and straight into Fred and George.   
  
"Hey, watch it!" Fred yelled.  
  
"We can't have just anybody falling into our arms," George added.  
  
"Sorry, guys." I walked over to where Mom and Remus were talking. Like civilized human beings.  
  
"Will Ferrell is so much better than Chris Rock," Mom was arguing.  
  
"From the movies that you've shown me, I've got to say that I like Chris Rock more."  
  
"Yeah, well… nyuh!" She stuck her tongue out at him and turned to me with a smile on her face. "Hi, I'm Barbie Bimbo. How may I help you?"  
  
I just stared at her. "Oh, my God."  
  
"LET'S JUST try it one more time, guys. Please." I ignored their groans and mumbles, focusing solely on helping my dad. "Just concentrate a little harder. Ron and 'Mione can go first."  
  
"No wonder you're Snape's assistant," Ron grumbled. "Pushy, pushy."  
  
"Shut up, Ron."  
  
I watched them stand together and close their eyes. After about 15 seconds, I could hear the crunch of bones as they morphed into the wolf's skeleton. Soon, two beautiful wolves stood before me. One had red fur (I'm guessing this is Ron) and the other had brown (Hermione).  
  
"You wanna go next?" I asked Harry.  
  
"Sure." He gave the wolves a quick pat before transforming into a gorgeous buck, his antlers strong.  
  
I smiled broadly. It's working! My turn. I closed my eyes and thought about the freedom of a dog. The joy of running with my friends. The thought of having a tail. And then it happened. The process which I thought would be painful was in fact painless. I hunched over and felt my tongue grow inside of my mouth and my nose stretch out.   
  
When my change was done, I let out a yip of excitement. And then Sirius walked in, his face stoic.  
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He asked in a soft voice.  
  
I put my head down and heard myself whimper.  
  
"You four aren't even of age yet. You're doing illegal magic." Hypocrite.  
  
I wanted to tell him that Dumbledore gave us permission, but instead barked. He rolled his eyes and changed into his dog form.  
  
"What were you saying?" A voice inside my head asked. I thought those didn't exist!  
  
"Dumbledore gave us permission so we could help Dad," I told Sirius.  
  
"Dumbledore doesn't have the authority to do that." He was silent for a minute before he broke out into a doggie grin. "It's amazing that you kids could do this. How long have you guys been practicing?"  
  
"About three weeks," Harry answered. "We practice everyday after lessons."  
  
Since we can't go back to school, Remus and Snape have been giving us lessons. It's almost like being home-schooled.  
  
"That's amazing!" Sirius was shaking with excitement. "Let's go play!"  
  
"You're so immature," Hermione said.  
  
"Come on, it'll be fun!" With that, he ran out of the attic and down the stairs. Like the herd of wild animals that we were, we followed him. Harry's hooves pounded the floor and, despite the frightened shrieks and muttered curses, we ran out of the door that Dumbledore held open.   
  
"Have fun!" He called out after us.  
  
And we did. We played chase through the forest and, after making sure no one was present, we frolicked on the beach and in the waves. We played until about 2 in the morning when Dumbledore and Snape came to fetch us. We transformed back into our human forms in the woods and everyone except Snape and me headed back to the house. We walked along the beach with the waves lapping at our bare feet. It was weird to see Snape wearing Muggle clothes and acting like a guy who held no grudges or felt no pain. He was clad in a pair of black jeans, gray long-sleeved shirt, and a black jacket.   
  
"You and your friends are very talented young wizards," he told me.  
  
"Thanks." I let out a bored sigh and kicked at the waves. "Why do the Death Eaters want Sirius?"  
  
"It was because of Black that Voldemort lost his most faithful servant."  
  
"Pettigrew."  
  
"Yes. Now Voldemort wants Black dead."  
  
"Ah." I realized that I was beginning to become a lot more relaxed around Snape now that we were out of school. He didn't have to act like he hated everybody anymore.  
  
"You're not still a Death Eater, are you?" I asked warily.  
  
"No, and I won't report your dear Black to the Death Eaters, either," he sneered.  
  
"You can't hate him forever."  
  
"Watch me."  
  
"Come on, professor. He's a great guy."  
  
"I noticed that I am the only one you still call Professor. With the exception of Dumbledore."  
  
"Well, what do you want me to call you?"  
  
"Severus is fine."  
  
"Sev?"  
  
"That works too."  
  
"Okay, Sev, now let's work on this thing with Sirius."  
  
"He's a prat," he said dryly.  
  
"Now that's just not nice. He's a good enough guy to have Dad trust him. Isn't that enough?"  
  
He was silent for a minute before glumly nodding. "Yes."  
  
"Will you be nice to him?"  
  
He mumbled something before saying, "I'll try."  
  
"Good. Now let's go home."  
  
Another week had passed without any news about the Death Eaters. Everyone was becoming hopeful that Sirius might be able to live a carefree, Death Eater free life. Siri himself put a damper on our feelings by saying that no one would ever be free of the Death Eaters. Way to go, Siri.  
  
After our little chat, Severus made forth an effort of trying to get along with Sirius. Maybe they'd never be best friends (okay, definitely not) but they might at least exchange a greeting without glaring daggers at each other. Every morning, Sev would tell Sirius "good morning" and every morning he got a replay. That's about all I could get out of them.  
  
I was beginning to miss school, also. Not only the social part of it, but also the educational part. I missed Transfiguration and mocking Trelawney and even taunting Malfoy. I mean, sure, we have the daily lessons from Remus and Sev but that's not nearly enough.  
  
"Hey, chickaroonie!" My mom exclaimed, hopping on the couch next to me and Harry. "Whatcha watching?"  
  
"I am introducing Harry to Will and Grace."  
  
"You mean Jack and Karen?"  
  
"Exactly."  
  
Harry turned to Mom, still laughing from one of Sean Hayes' witty one-liners. "We don't have a TV at our place. This is really great entertainment."  
  
Sirius entered the living room and sat next to Mom, kissing her on the cheek as he did so. "Hey."  
  
"Hey, Sir. What have you been up to?"  
  
"Me and Remus went to the beach to hang out for a bit."  
  
"Are you sure that's safe?"  
  
"I was Padfoot the puppy. Of course it's safe." He put on a reassuring smile and gave Mom another kiss. "I promise, love."  
  
"Okay." She still sounded doubtful.  
  
"Tina, relax. I've got everyone looking out for me. Of course, I've got everyone out looking for me, too." He chuckled dryly. "I'll be fine."  
  
"Well, you're not doing a very good job of reassuring us," Harry remarked.  
  
"Trust me. Have I ever lied to you?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Then why should I start now?" Harry didn't respond. "Come on, now. Let's just be quiet and watch TV, 'kay?"  
  
I couldn't help but worry about Sirius's safety. Death Eaters were really dangerous people. More dangerous than any basilisk or any werewolf. They were led by the most vicious, most sinister, most deadly being that's ever existed and now they're all after Sirius. It's safe to say that I was scared shitless.  
  
That night at dinner, Severus and Sirius actually had a three-minute conversation that didn't consist of curses and yelling. Although it was about the food, it was a decent conversation nonetheless.   
  
"I ran into Dumbledaore this morning at the Ministry," Mr. Weasley said. "He told me something and he wanted me to spread the word on to you. He's been accepted as the new Minister of Magic."  
  
The table erupted into cheers and applause and I glanced at my three best friends who were grinning like mad. That meant that we had permission to become Animagi from the Minister of Magic!  
  
"He also said that he's putting together a sort of… what did he call it….? Skillatary?"  
  
"Military?" Mom suggested.  
  
"Right! A military unit to battle the Death Eaters. He wants you three, along with myself, to join." He pointed to Remus, Tonks, and Severus. "He's stopping by later to fill you in on what it is."  
  
"What about the rest of us?" Ginny asked. "What do we do?"  
  
"Keep the house clean, what d'ya expect?" Fred mumbled.  
  
"I guess you just spend the day like you would any other," said Mr. Weasley, shrugging. "Dumbledore said that they would meet at the Ministry and then split up and do different tasks."  
  
"What kind of tasks?" Tonks asked.  
  
"He didn't say. I'm sure nothing too bad, although with Dumbledore, it's hard to tell."  
  
"I'll second that." The man himself had just Apparated into the kitchen and was chuckling at what Mr. Weasley had said. "Arthur, my boy, if I may just borrow you and the other three. I need to talk to you all."  
  
"Oh, yes, sir." Mr. Weasley excused himself and summoned the rest into the living room.  
  
"I wonder what they have to do," Ron whispered as soon as they had left.   
  
"If Dumbledore wanted us to know, I'm sure he would have told us," Mrs. Weasley said. "Now eat your soup."  
  
"Why didn't he ask me to help?" Sirius asked, his voice almost a whine. "Why can't I help to capture the men and women who are after me?"  
  
"Because if you screw up and they catch you… you're dead," Mom told him. Hey, it's the truth.  
  
"I love the faith you put in me," he retorted sarcastically. "It makes me feel oh so special."  
  
"I just don't want you dead."  
  
"Oh, well, that makes me feel a little better."  
  
"How long have you two known each other?" Ginny asked with a smile on her freckled face.  
  
"Almost twenty years," Sirius answered. "Well, 8 if you don't count the years I was in Azkaban."  
  
"Lor told me that you and Tina dated before now."  
  
"We did. We started dating about five minutes after we met."  
  
"Love at first sight?"  
  
He smiled warmly at Ginny's fairy tale view on love. "Yes. Something like that. I don't know if Tina felt the same way, though." He looked at Mom expectantly.  
  
"I guess you could call it love at second sight," she corrected. "At first I thought he was a twat!"  
  
THE NEXT morning I was up around 5:30 because I was having trouble sleeping. My throat was raw and dry, so I headed down to the kitchen to fetch a cup of water, when I ran into Dumbledore and the three "honorary Aurors". Remus took me aside and held both of my hands in his.  
  
"We're leaving," he stated. "Dumbledore found out some of the Death Eaters know that we're not in England anymore and are meeting somewhere about a hundred miles away. We're going to go get them. I don't know how long we'll be gone but…" He kissed my forehead. "Just in case… something happens, I love you, Lorelai. Tell your mother that I love her, too."  
  
I could feel a lump rising in my throat and the tears threatening my eyes as I hugged my father closely.  
  
"You will come back," I said, my voice cracking. "I know you will. I love you so much, Dad."  
  
He gently pushed me away with a sad smile on his lips, joining the rest of the gang. Realizing that this might be the last time I see them, I jugged each and every soldier, lingering with Severus.  
  
"Be careful," I warned, wrapping my arms around his neck. "Take care of my dad, will ya, Sev?"  
  
"With all of my life." He smiled slightly. "There isn't a single kid like you, Lorelai. Potter's a lucky young man."  
  
"Thanks."   
  
His eyes wandered to the living room. "Reina's asleep on the couch. I want her sister to take very good care of her."  
  
I almost began to cry again when Severus called me her sister.  
  
"I will. Now, go."  
  
He ruffled my hair with a small smile on his face. "I'll bring your father back in one piece."  
  
I watched them Apparate to God knows where and felt a huge piece of my heart go with them. Please, God, I prayed, Take care of them. Please.  
  
AN- Whatever becomes of them? Next chapter: Severus and Remus return because of injury and decide to give love another try. 


	8. Always

**A SLIGHT CHANGE  
  
CH. 8- ALWAYS  
  
DISCLAIMER- … Chad… Chad Michael Murray's engaged… damn you for taking him from me, Sophia Bush! You know the deal, I own what I own and I don't what I don't. Or something like that.  
  
AN- When we were in Germany, I saw a truck for a company called Remus and their logo was a wolf's head. I thought that was pretty neat. Thanks to those who reviewed!**  
  
_This Romeo is bleeding   
  
But you can't see his blood   
  
It's nothing but some feelings   
  
That this old dog kicked up   
  
It's been raining since you left me   
  
Now I'm drowning in the flood   
  
You see I've always been a fighter   
  
But without you I give up   
  
Now I can't sing a love song   
  
Like the way it's meant to be   
  
Well, I guess I'm not that good anymore   
  
But baby, that's just me   
  
And I will love you, baby - Always   
  
And I'll be there forever and a day - Always   
  
I'll be there till the stars don't shine   
  
Till the heavens burst and   
  
The words don't rhyme   
  
And I know when I die, you'll be on my mind   
  
And I'll love you - Always   
  
Now your pictures that you left behind   
  
Are just memories of a different life   
  
Some that made us laugh, some that made us cry   
  
One that made you have to say goodbye   
  
What I'd give to run my fingers through your hair  
  
To touch your lips, to hold you near   
  
When you say your prayers try to understand   
  
I've made mistakes, I'm just a man   
  
When he holds you close, when he pulls you near   
  
When he says the words you've been needing to hear   
  
I'll wish I was him 'cause those words are mine   
  
To say to you till the end of time   
  
Yeah, I will love you baby - Always   
  
And I'll be there forever and a day - Always   
  
If you told me to cry for you   
  
I could   
  
If you told me to die for you   
  
I would   
  
Take a look at my face   
  
There's no price I won't pay   
  
To say these words to you   
  
Well, there ain't no luck   
  
In these loaded dice   
  
But baby if you give me just one more try   
  
We can pack up our old dreams   
  
And our old lives   
  
We'll find a place where the sun still shines   
  
And I will love you, baby - Always   
  
And I'll be there forever and a day - Always   
  
I'll be there till the stars don't shine   
  
Till the heavens burst and   
  
The words don't rhyme   
  
And I know when I die, you'll be on my mind   
  
And I'll love you - Always  
  
"Always" - Bon Jovi_

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I SAT huddled on the armchair which Remus dubbed the "Magic Settee" **(AN- I am so sorry if I misspelled that.)** because that's where he would always sit with me when I was a baby. I'd only known my father for about six months but he's still my father. Mom and I got along well without him but Mom still knew where he was. But now, I've no idea where he is or what he's doing. All I know is that he's after Death Eaters and that's not a very pleasant thought. He's off at war and I don't know when he'll be back.  
  
"Lor?"  
  
I wiped my eyes and saw Harry standing in the doorway, his hair sticking up every which way. I scooted over as far as I could and he gathered me in his arms.   
  
"What's wrong?" he whispered.  
  
"They're gone."  
  
"Already?"  
  
I nodded into his chest. "They left about an hour ago."  
  
"Do you know where they went?"  
  
"No." This brought on another bout of tears.  
  
"Shh… it's going to be okay. I promise. Shh…" He paused. "Who's on the couch?"  
  
"Reina. She's, um, Snape's daughter."  
  
"Snape has a kid? Who's sick enough to sleep with him?"  
  
I took a deep breath, trying to fight the anger that was bubbling in the pit of my stomach. "My father."  
  
"Your-? Oh! I'm sorry for what I said then."  
  
"You didn't know." I crawled off the Magic Settee and knelt in front of my sister. I brushed a stray strand of hair off her olive face and smiled as she began to wake. Her amber eyes searched around the room before landing on my face.   
  
"Lorelai!" She wrapped her thing arms around me in a tight hug and I could feel her shoulder's tremble. "Daddy's gone. So is Remy."  
  
"I know. They'll be back soon." I hope I was telling the poor kid the truth. "Are you hungry? I could make some breakfast."  
  
"Chocolate chip pancakes?" She asked hopefully.   
  
"Your daddy taught me how to make his special chocolate chip pancakes."  
  
"Yay!" She spotted Harry, who was now flipping through the Daily Prophet. "Potter."  
  
"Huh? Oh, hello."  
  
"I don't like you."  
  
Harry looked amused. "Why not?"  
  
"Because my daddy doesn't like you."  
  
"But I like him," I told her. "He's my boyfriend."  
  
She pondered this for a while before nodding. "Okay. I like you then."  
  
"Good."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I TROTTED over to Padfoot the puppy and nudged him with my nose. He continued to bask in the sun, his tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth. I barked impatiently and nipped at his ear. This got him up… and angry. He rolled over and bounded to his feet, knocking me over. He towered over me, his haunches raised and teeth bared in a snarl. The growl came from deep within his throat. He nipped at my shoulder and I let out a pained whine.  
  
"Siri, I'm sorry!" I whimpered.  
  
"Lor? Aw, shit, I forgot!" Padfoot the puppy licked my bleeding shoulder. "I'm so sorry. I forgot what you looked like."  
  
"That's flattering."  
  
"Does it hurt?"   
  
"Not really. I'm gonna go home and bandage it up."  
  
"Geez, Lor, you have no idea how sorry I am. I'll come with you. Shit…"  
  
"Siri, it's no big deal. I'll be fine." I limped back to the house and lopped inside. I transformed in the bathroom while Sirius changed clothes. I surveyed my injury in the mirror and grimaced. It looked pretty nasty. It wasn't very deep but it was dripping blood. I washed it off and began to pour hydrogen peroxide on it as Sirius watched with a guilty look on his face. Poor guy.  
  
"Lor, I'm really sorry."  
  
"Stop apologizing."  
  
"But I-"  
  
"Do it again and I'll break your head," I said, putting on my best Jean Reno accent.  
  
He sulked. "Can I at least help?"  
  
"You can put the bandage on."  
  
"All right." As he put the bandage on, I felt really content, like he had been taking care of me since I was little. You know, putting a Band-Aid on my knee from when I fell off the bike when I was five. It just made me reminisce about all the times Mom had to clean my wounds or tell me that my Richie Sambora poster wasn't watching me get dressed. Simple things that made me feel so much better.  
  
"All fixed," Sirius finally said, patting my head mockingly.  
  
"Thank you," I said sincerely.  
  
"No biggie."  
  
Before I knew it, I was hugging him. "I'm so glad my mom found you."  
  
"Me, too. Want me to make you a banana split? I think I heard the rest of the kids come in."  
  
"Sure."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"SIRIUS! Turn that racket off! I swear, you're worse than the kids!" Mrs. Weasley yelled from the kitchen.  
  
"I can't hear you!" Sirius turned the stereo up louder as we continued dancing. Hermione, Mom, and I made up a new dance to "Blitzkrieg Bop" by the Ramones and the guys pretended to actually be the Ramones.  
  
"Sirius!"   
  
"The music's too loud! I can't hear!"  
  
"Ugh!" I heard the back door slam and I guessed that Mrs. Weasley gave up.  
  
"Time for a slow song," Sirius said, putting on "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" by Aerosmith. He pulled Mom close to him as I wrapped my arms around Harry's neck. This left Ron and Hermione to dance with each other and romance to bloom.   
  
"Lor! Lor! Daddy's here! Daddy's back!" Reina ran into the living room and her face made the sunlight seem dim. "Daddy's back and he brought Remy!"  
  
As if right on cue, Severus and Remus walked in and there was a collective gasp at what laid before us. Remus's leg was wrapped in a bloodied gauze and his left eye was swollen. There was a deep gash across his chest that looked like it had just recently scabbed over.  
  
"Oh, my God," Mom breathed, rushing over to Remus. "What happened?"  
  
"Death Eaters," Sev said, disgusted. "They found us before we found them."  
  
"Is everyone else all right?"  
  
"A few bumps and scratches but Remus got it worst. He had wandered off and ran into about five Death Eaters. One had him in a body bind while the rest beat him. We got there just in time. We petrified them and sent them all to Azkaban. Of course, there are still many more out there, but Albus wanted me to bring Remus home. He's in pretty bad shape and the full moon is Thursday."  
  
"Are you staying too?" I asked, realizing my voice sounded hopeful.   
  
"Yes, but only until after the full moon. I have to make Remus's Wolfsbane potion."  
  
I walked over to my father and gently touched his cheek. "Welcome home, Dad." When he didn't respond, I continued. "We missed you. You've been gone for over a month. Not much happened here. Sirius annoyed Mrs. Weasley just about everyday. I mastered the Stunning Spell finally. I stunned Mom's puppy. Have you seen him yet? He's not usually at the house. He likes to wonder." My voice broke. "Please, wake up, Daddy. Please…"  
  
I felt Harry put his hand on my shoulder, gently pulling me towards him. "Come on, Lorelai. Let's go for a walk."  
  
I looked longingly at Remus and blinked furiously, trying to make the tears go away. "Okay."  
  
As we were walking to the back door, Severus stopped me and whispered, "He's going to be okay." **(AN- I like making Snape a good guy. :)  
  
**"Thank you. For everything. You really are a good guy, Sev."  
  
"Don't tell anyone that," he muttered.  
  
It's all just an act. One he better end soon because I like the good guy Sev.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I SLEPT in a chair next to Remus's bed every night until he woke up. Severus stayed the first night and yesterday but he then went to go spend some time with Reina. I never really slept, though. I more or less waited for him to wake up. But he didn't. Not for the next two days.  
  
It was Wednesday, February 12th, one day before the full moon, that Remus woke up. I was reading HOWL for the twentieth time when I noticed him stir and then sit up, groaning.  
  
"Dad…" I ran over to his bedside and grabbed his hand. "You're awake."  
  
"You're observant. How long was I asleep?" His voice was dry and raspy.  
  
"About two days. Sev brought you home. Here, have some water."  
  
"Thank you." He took a sip before downing the rest in one gulp. When he spoke, his voice was still raspy but held much more feeling and emotion. "Severus brought me home?"  
  
"Yep. He came and sat by you for a day but he's with Reina today. I think he still ahs feelings for you."  
  
He nodded. "I know. He's spoken to me about that. But… Tonks."  
  
"Did Tonks bring you home? Did Tonks sit by your bedside? Did Tonks have a child with you? Does Tonks love you the way Severus does?" Haha, beat that.  
  
"No. To all of those. You're very persistent." He laughed bitterly. "I'm too easy. I've been with three of the people in this house. I proposed to and had a child with one lady, I had a child with one man, and I'm dating another girl."  
  
"Relax. You're going through a phase, trying to find the one who you can love with all of your heart. Who do you think that is?" I paused. "Do you need some painkillers? We've got Motrin."  
  
"Motrin?"  
  
"It's a Muggle brand. It works for me and Mom. Or, Sev brought you this." I handed him a shot glass of potion.  
  
"Good ol' Severus." He gulped down the liquid and made a face. "Tastes like shite but works like a charm. I feel better already." He tried to get out of bed but stopped suddenly, lying back down. "I think I'll just stay here. Pretty sure my leg's broken."  
  
"I bet Sev can fix that."  
  
"Sev can fix anything. Wait, you don't…"  
  
I grinned widely. "I like Sev. I think it's obvious y'all were meant for each other."  
  
"It's not weird for you?"  
  
"Not really."  
  
"Okay, then. I need to talk to Tonks first, but I can't. And Sev is leaving the day after tomorrow."  
  
"Tell him now. That way he has something he knows he can come home to."  
  
"You are clever."  
  
"Lorelai?" Ron stuck his red head in the door, along with Harry and Hermione. "Oh, Lupin, you're awake!"  
  
"He just woke up about 10 minutes ago," I told them.  
  
"Hello." Remus gestured them in and smiled warmly. "How are you?"  
  
"Tired," Hermione answered. "No one has gotten much sleep. We've all been worried sick about you. Are you feeling better?"  
  
"Yes, I am, thank you. Severus has made me a healing potion, but I think my leg's broken."  
  
"Professor Snape said it was. He'll fix it though."  
  
Remus and I shared a knowing smile as someone knocked on the door. Sure enough, in walked Severus, brandishing his wand. He smiled warmly at Remus, who returned it.   
  
"I've come to fix your leg." I noticed that when he spoke to Remus, his voice was a lot softer and very warm. "Let me see it."  
  
"Yes, doctor." Remus pulled the covers off of his leg and everyone groaned and grimaced.  
  
"That's disgusting," Ron moaned.  
  
"Ew…" Hermione buried her face in Ron's shoulder.  
  
It was oozing pus and all sorts of colors. Just… nasty.  
  
Severus muttered a hex and pointed his wand at Remus's leg. Green sparks (as well as those of another sort) flew and the oozing gashes disappeared and Remus took a sharp intake of breath. Seconds later, he was bending his leg as if it was never broken.   
  
"Wow, that's brilliant!" Harry whispered loudly. "Better than Lockhart could ever do."  
  
"Severus, I don't know how I could ever repay you," Remus said.  
  
"Don't get hurt anymore." He sounded rough and spiteful but there was a twinkle in his eyes that only Remus and I spotted.  
  
"Come on, guys. I think Remy and Sev need to talk." I ushered the gang into the hallway and downstairs to where Mom, Mrs. Weasley, and Reina were playing Go Fish and Sirius was watching TV.   
  
"Is your father awake yet?" Mom asked.  
  
"Yep. He's talking to Sev right now. I don't know how long they'll be."  
  
Sirius laughed out loud. "Bloody hell, these guys are brilliant! The tall one, ya see? Friggin' hilarious. And the bald one? Funny as hell. American television is classic." **(AN- I'll give a cookie to whoever guesses what show this is.)  
**  
Mom turned back to me after staring lovingly at Sirius. "How's Remus?"  
  
"He's a lot better. Severus makes him feel better."  
  
"Because of their past?" I could tell what she was hinting at.  
  
"Because of their past, present and future."  
  
"They're back together?"  
  
"I was talking to Dad about it and he was leaning towards getting back together with Sev. So, they're most likely starting over."  
  
"Lor?" Reina sat her cards down. "Can you take me to go see Daddy?"  
  
"Sure thing, kiddo." I kissed Harry on the cheek as Reina climbed onto my back and we headed upstairs.  
  
"Make yourselves decent, girls are coming in!" I announced, opening the door. Remus was still lying in bed and Severus was sitting next to him.   
  
"Hey, Daddy. Are you better, Remy?" Se asked, climbing into Severus's lap.  
  
"I'm better." Remus stroked his daughter's raven hair. "Do you like it here?"  
  
"Yep! I like going to the beach and playing in the sand. It's different than London. People are nicer." **(AN- No offense to the people of London!)**  
  
"There's not a lot of magic, though," Severus added. I realized that he had his hand resting on Remus's forearm. "You have to leave your wand at home."  
  
"True. But that's just one little thing," Remus said.  
  
"Are you two back together?" I asked receiving one big grin and a poorly concealed smile.  
  
"You were right, Lor. We were meant to be together."  
  
"That's so cliché," Severus mumbled.  
  
"But it's the truth."  
  
Sev mumbled something before shrugging. "I guess so."  
  
I laughed and told Sev, "You're such a pushover! Dad's got you wrapped around his little finger." I added softly, "You'd do anything for him." He nodded.  
  
"I wanna go to the beach!" Reina exclaimed, jumping off her father's lap. "Let's go, Daddy!"  
  
Severus looked at Remus as though for permission. When he nodded, Sev got out of the bed and picked up his daughter, who giggled with delight. "Come on, my dear Reina Sidney. Let's go to the beach."  
  
I never really pictured Severus as a father. But after I watched him playing with the Reina on the beach, I found out what a great dad he was. He laughed and played with the little girl, something I would never imagine. And… he looked happy. Happier than I've ever seen him. I don't know if it was because of Reina or getting back with Remus, but whatever it was, it made him happy. Seeing him happy made me happy. And it made Remus happy. And a happy Remus made a happy Severus and a happy Severus made a happy me and a happy me makes a happy Harry and so forth. Get it? **(AN- I got a little carried away…)**

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

"SINCE you caught some of the Death Eaters, can we go back to school?" Ron asked Severus the next morning at breakfast.  
  
Sev shrugged, taking a sip of his black coffee. "It's too early to tell. As soon as Albus returns, we should know. There are still hundreds and hundreds of Death Eaters still out there. Black won't ever be truly free."  
  
"Gee, thanks," Sirius muttered.  
  
"He didn't mean it the way you took it," Mom assured him. "You'll never see the end of the Death Eaters is what he's trying to say."   
  
"Exactly. Thank you, Tina." Sev glanced at me and I gave him a gracious smile. He was really trying to be a nicer guy.  
  
"Do you know when Dumbledore will return?" Harry asked Remus, who was stuffing himself with scrambled eggs.  
  
"Don't eat so fast," Sev scolded him.  
  
He gave Sev an annoyed look and said to Harry, "I'm not sure when Albus will be back. I'm hoping he'll return safely and soon."  
  
I pushed my empty bowl of oatmeal away and excused myself. All of a sudden I felt extremely angry. I ran upstairs to my room and locked the door, breathing heavily and clenching my fists. I was mad at Voldemort for killing Harry's parents and trying to kill Harry several different times; at the Death Eaters for wanting to murder an innocent man; again at the Death Eaters for hurting my dad; at the werewolf who bit Remus, giving him monthly grief and pain; and at Eve, for eating the apple and giving women monthly grief and pain.  
  
I sat down on my bed, clutching my stuffed hippo (Frank) close to my chest, and began to sob. I cried in anger, sadness, angst, happiness- I was an emotional wreck. Sad because the people I care for are fighting a never-ending war and Sev was going to join them tomorrow. Suffering from teenage angst and hating the world for no damn reason. And I was happy that he house was full of love and blossoming relationships.  
  
Getting off the bed, I turned on my stereo, letting the music run through my soul. The faint sound of knocking could be heard over the Beatles.  
  
"May I come in?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Remus opened the door and sat beside me on the floor. He looked paler than usual, probably because the full moon was tonight. His once lively amber eyes were dull and tired, matching his haggard face.  
  
"You left quickly," he said softly.  
  
"Female mood swing. I was angry."  
  
"At whom?"  
  
"Lots of people. Voldemort, his followers, that stupid werewolf who bit you… I believe a religious woman was in there too."  
  
"Ah. I'm sorry." **(AN- Gotta love the apologies.)** He spotted the scar on my shoulder, for I was wearing a tank top. "Where'd that come from?"  
  
"Oh, um, Sirius was confused. We were in our dog forms and I woke him up, he freaked out, and bit me. He said he didn't know it was me, though."  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah, of course. Are you okay? Did all of your scars heal up fine?"  
  
"Mm-hmm. Severus did a good job."  
  
"That's good."  
  
Right then, a beautiful snowy owl came flying through the open window and landed on Remus's knee. He removed the note from its outstretched talon and read it quickly. I watched his eyes narrow as they did when he was concerned.  
  
"I've got to go," he said getting up quickly. "Albus needs us."  
  
"What? Dad, where are you going?" I called after him but he was already downstairs. "Dad?"  
  
He and Severus came rushing to the front door, frantically throwing their robes over there Muggle clothes.   
  
"Dad, what's going on? Dad, come on! Tell me!"  
  
"Lorelai-" He gripped my shoulders tightly. "-my sweet daughter, I will always be here for you. Whatever happens, I am always here. I love you so much."  
  
"Dad, what's wrong?" He was beginning to frighten me.  
  
"I have to go."  
  
"But the full moon's tonight!"  
  
"I'll have Severus."  
  
"Dad, what is it?"  
  
His amber eyes pierced into mine. "He's back."  
  
**AN- Duh, duh, duh! Cliffhanger! The next chapter should be up soon.**


	9. Encounters

**A SLIGHT CHANGE  
  
CH. 9- ENCOUNTERS  
  
DISCLAIMER- Not mine.  
  
AN- I was thinking about waiting a week before posting this, you know, just to be evil. But, I'm not very good at being evil. I'm kind of a good person. So, here it is. Chapitero 9. Chapitero… cool word.  
**  
**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO  
**  
This is bad, this is bad, this is oh so very bad. I stood, rooted to the wood floor of the entranceway. I could feel my hands shaking and hear my own heartbeat. He's back. Voldemort's regained power and now he wants both Sirius and Harry, along with everyone who ever meant something to them. No. I will NOT let him take away the people I love.  
  
"I'm coming with you," I told Remus as he shoved his wand into the pocket of his robe.  
  
"What-? No, you're not."  
  
"Yes, I am. No matter what. If you Apparate right now, I will track you down in my Animagus form. I will find you and I will help you defeat Voldemort. I'm coming with you, Dad."  
  
"It's too dangerous."  
  
"I don't care!" I cried exasperatedly. "He's not going to kill the people I love."  
  
"So you'd rather him kill you?" Severus asked.   
  
"It's better than him killing Harry or Sirius." I sighed. "I want to help. Let me come with you. Please."  
  
"Merlin…" Remus raked a shaky hand through his graying sandy hair. "No. Stay here."  
  
"Dad, wait-" But they'd already Apparated. "Damn it." I scrambled upstairs and into my room, searching for pen and paper. I had to leave a note for Mom so she won't freak out and call the police. Geez, I've got to find Remus. Okay, the note's done. I ran back downstairs and transformed in the bathroom. There was still a red stain on my fur from where Sirius had bit me. My necklace still hung around my neck and I decided that I would be a good luck charm. God know I'm going to need it.  
  
I head laughter coming closer and tried to hide in the corner, having no such luck. So much for a good luck charm.  
  
"Lor, where are you going?" Sirius asked, his face full of concern and confusion. You idiot, I can't talk.  
  
I put my paws on his chest and licked the side of his face before rushing outside and beginning my search. Remus was an easy hunt. I figured out that he has a distinctive smell. Kind of a lemony scent. Too bad he's farther away than I thought. But he must still be in California, I can tell. Please, still be in California.  
  
I stopped several times to let the kids pet me and to regroup. I survived on dropped food and rain water. I'd been searching nonstop for 9 days and still had nothing. The full moon had come and gone and now I was really worried about Remus. He's always so weak after the full moon and now it's even worse because if the Death Eaters found him in the aftermath of his transformation, he's a goner. I really hope Sev is taking good care of him.   
  
On the 11th day, after resting for an hour or so, I tried to find his trail again. This time, I caught a whiff of a familiar scent, but it wasn't Remus's.   
  
"Idiot!" I thought. "They're after you!"  
  
I followed Sirius's trail for about a mile before I found the black dog lapping at an abandoned ice cream. I gave him a warning bark before head butting him in the side.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?" I demanded.  
  
"Looking for you! What do you think you're doing?"  
  
"Looking for my dad! I want to help him. I have to."  
  
"Well, I'm coming too."  
  
"No, you're not, Siri. Go back home."  
  
"No."  
  
"Damn it, Sirius! They're after you, not me! You'll get killed!"  
  
"And you think I don't already know that? You're just a kid, Lor. A war isn't the right place for you."  
  
I was about to respond when I found it. The lemony smell. Dad… I ran into the woods and nearly jumped for joy when I caught up with the "Aurors." Remus and Severus were talking to Mr. Weasley and Tonks was asleep, leaning back against a tree. Dumbledore was reading what looked like a letter when he spotted Sirius and me.  
  
"What are you doing here?" He whispered urgently.  
  
"I came to help when I ran into this moron," I told him once I changed back into my human form.  
  
"Lorelai!" Remus rushed over to me and pulled me into a bone-crushing hug. "I told you not to come. Why didn't you- Sirius?"  
  
"Hi."   
  
"Do you have a death wish, Black?" Severus sneered. "Because what you're doing is suicide."  
  
"Can it, Snape." Sirius turned back to my dad. "I came after Lorelai and when she found me, she said that she was coming to help you so I came with her. And I plan on staying."  
  
"Fine." Remus looked at me. "But, you have to leave."  
  
"What? How come he gets to stay? He's the one they're after!"  
  
"You're fifteen years old!"  
  
"So?"  
  
"You're too young to be here. Go home. Go back to your mother, your sister, and your friends. You don't belong here."  
  
"Neither do you! You're still weak from the full moon."  
  
"No, I'm not. I'm fine. Go home."  
  
"I'm not going home. It took me eleven days to find you and I'm going to stay here with you. I can fight! I know the Unforgivable Curses!"  
  
"Do you really think those will defeat Voldemort?"  
  
"Let her stay." Dumbledore stepped forward and put a hand on my shoulder. "If she believes that she's ready to fight, then let her. She wants to protect her friends, although one of them is so stubborn, I see no reason to want to protect him," he said, eying Sirius. "Let her prove herself."  
  
"Prove herself?" Severus repeated. "What does she have to prove to us? We already know she's a powerful witch for her age. She knows more than Hermione Granger, for Merlin's sake! What more does she have to prove?"  
  
"That I'm not a little kid anymore," I told him. "That I don't need anybody to take care of me like I'm a kid and that I can fight just as well as you can."  
  
"We know you can, Lorelai," Remus said softly. "You don't have to prove anything to us. You don't need to stay here."  
  
"Quit trying to talk her out of it, Remy," Sirius said in a bored tone. "She's here whether you like it or not. And I know you don't." He yawned. "So, when do we fight?"  
  
**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO  
**  
The sun was pounding down on me while I tried to take an afternoon nap, and I could feel it heat the metal of my necklace, burning into my skin. Sleeping was basically one of the only past times one can find while waiting day after day for nothing to happen. Sirius tried to make a deck of cards using some old parchment but gave up before finishing even one suit. Then Tonks, Siri, and me played Truth or Dare, but that soon became dull once we figured out that we weren't very creative. Remus and Sev spent their time talking ad cuddling while everyone else was dozing off or trying to entertain themselves.  
  
I slowly opened my eyes and caught a glimpse of a snowy owl perched on my leg.  
  
"Hello, Hedwig."  
  
The owl gave a cluck of recognition and affectionately nipped my finger as I untied the parcel from her leg.  
  
"Thanks, girl." Giving her a piece of leftover toast, I let her rest on my knee.  
  
"Who's it from?" Tonks asked, reading over my shoulder.  
  
"One's from Harry and the other's from my mom."  
  
The letter from Harry was just asking how I was and if I found Remus yet. I smiled when he signed it with "I love you. -Harry". But the one from Mom was completely different. I'm surprised she didn't send a Howler. It was more or less scolding me for running off without telling anyone. She also complained about Sirius leaving, also. In the end, she took on a more concerned tone, wishing that I would come home to where I was safe. I replied to them both, saying I was fine, and that I had found Dad, and that I would continue to write if anything happened.  
  
I gave Hedwig another wedge of toast before sending her off.   
  
"Wanna do something?" Tonks asked, chewing on her thumbnail.  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Twenty questions?"  
  
"All right. You go first."  
  
"I'm thinking of a person."  
  
"Is he a movie star?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Brad Pitt."  
  
"How'd you know?"  
  
"He's the only movie star you know. You always pick him."  
  
"Oh."  
  
I sat up, looking around at my companions. Seeing these older people surrounding me made me feel like a little kid again, something that I was trying to show I wasn't by staying here. I had the sudden longing for my mom, but decided that that was silly. I was fifteen years old now. I didn't need the constant nagging of a mother to make me feel secure.  
  
"Lorelai, I'm bored," Sirius whined, plopping down next to me.  
  
"Hey, Siri, wanna play Twenty Questions?" Tonks asked him.  
  
"Brad Pitt," he mumbled. "Hey, Lor, when did Remy and Snape get back together?"  
  
"About two weeks ago."  
  
"Oh." He glared at Sev, who was smiling at something Remus had said. "I don't like him."  
  
"Jealous?"  
  
"Of course not. I have Tina. But, something about Snape makes me uncomfortable. We used to pull pranks on this guy in school and now, Remus is falling in love with him."  
  
"No, Dad's already fallen in love with him."  
  
"I just don't like him."  
  
"Well get used to him. He's a nice guy once you get to know him."  
  
"I really don't feel like getting to know him."  
  
"Come on, Sirius. He's trying to be nice to you because he wants to come off as a good guy. You should try that."  
  
"Yeah, right."  
  
"It's your choice."  
  
"Well I choose to be a son of a bitch."  
  
I rolled my eyes and turned to Remus, who had fallen asleep on Sev's shoulder. I smiled. He's really happy.  
  
"Let's go for a run," Sirius suggested.  
  
"Fine. Anything to get you to shut up." We changed into our doggie forms and, with one final glance at the happy couple, began to explore our surroundings once again.  
  
The feel of the shade that the trees provided, the hundreds of scents that wielded together to form that one distinct scent of forest, and the sound of my feet crunching the sticks beneath my paws were all oddly relaxing. I enjoyed chasing butterflies and squirrels with Sirius and romping through the various streams and creeks that wound through the forests. But most of all, I loved the freedom of being a dog. The ability to search every nook and cranny in trees or dead logs, and being able to spend hours chasing one stealthy rabbit. Just being able to be your own master. The independence of it all was welcomed.   
  
"Do you hear that?" Sirius asked, stopping dead in his tracks.   
  
"Hear what?"   
  
"Shut up and listen."  
  
I focused on hearing what Sirius had detected and a faint sound drifted to my ears. Voices. Two male voices at first before several others joined in. the first male voice sounded vaguely familiar. A silky drawl, I couldn't quite pinpoint it.  
  
"Let's go closer," Sirius dare, rambling over to a patch of trees surrounding a plain field in which the voices were coming from.  
  
"I know they're here!" The silky voice insisted.  
  
"And how do you know?" Though the second voice was high-pitched, it sounded venomous. "Is it a gut instinct?"  
  
"Somewhat, yes."  
  
"Come here, boy." The voices became whispers that I yearned to hear. I ventured closer, snapping a twig in the process.  
  
"Shit," Sirius breathed.  
  
"What was that?" The second voice demanded.  
  
"I don't know, my Lord." My Lord… Voldemort. "Shall I go check?"  
  
"Yes. Go check."  
  
I turned to run away but Sirius's voice halted me.  
  
"Stop. Act like a dog."  
  
A tall man with silvery blonde hair emerged from the clearing. Lucius Malfoy. He looks just like his son. In true doggy-like fashion, Sirius and I rambled over to him. I let out a short bark and nosed his hand, which he immediately pulled away.  
  
"Rotten mutts," he spat. "Get!" He made a move to retrieve his wand and I froze. "Leave, now!"  
  
Sirius whined.  
  
"Go!"  
  
We turned around, tails tucked between our legs, and sulked away. As soon as we were out of sight, we darted back to camp, running as fast as our four legs would take us. We found them, geez. It's scary! I heard Voldemort's serpent voice!  
  
When we reached the camp, we began barking frantically.  
  
"We don't understand you," Severus stated, looking annoyed.  
  
I transformed first. "We found 'em. Voldemort and Lucius Malfoy are there. Others, too, but we didn't see them."  
  
"You know where they are, then?" Mr. Weasley asked. "Do you remember?"  
  
"Yeah. Geez, it was scary. He pulled his wand on us."  
  
"Holy fuck!" Sirius bellowed after transforming. He was white as a ghost with wide, blue eyes.  
  
"Shut up, Sirius!" I scolded. "They might hear you."  
  
"I think I'm going to be sick." He moved over to an isolated spot and I grimaced upon hearing the sounds of retching and vomiting.  
  
"Is he all right?" I asked Dumbledore.  
  
"He'll be fine. Now, tell me, what did you hear?"  
  
"Not much. Only Malfoy telling Voldemort that he knew we were here. It was a gut instinct. Then I ruined it by stepping on a stick. A friggin' stick! I ruined it. Our perfect chance."  
  
"Stop blaming yourself, dear. It's not your fault. You said that you remember where they were?"  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"Would you like to be our spy?"  
  
My pace quickened with excitement. "Yes, sir!"  
  
"That's not safe," Severus objected. "Malfoy has already seen her. He might recognize her!"  
  
"Now, now, Severus. He might just suspect her to be a stray dog wandering back to where she spotted humans. To a dog, humans mean food."  
  
"I still don't think it's safe."  
  
"Sev, I'll be fine," I assured him. "I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."  
  
His mask slipped and his face was overcome with worry. "I think it'd be better if Black went with her."  
  
"As you wish." Sirius returned and mock bowed, receiving a death glare from Sev. "I'll make sure no one touches her."  
  
"Every day the two of you shall go to their meeting spot and listen to what they're saying," Dumbledore briefed. "But be sure that you go at a different time each day. Do not have a routine time."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"Good. Now, who would like some tea?"  
  
**AN- Sorry, it's short, I know. But next chapter is long, depressing, sad, and altogether happy. Kinda tough, but it's really good. I'm biased so shoot me.**


	10. Guilty Conscience

**A SLIGHT CHANGE CH. 10- GUILTY CONSCIENCE  
  
DISCLAIMER- I own a cell phone… and all the people I made up with my twisted imagination… and a puppy… Huh, not much.  
  
AN- This one's longer, so quit yelling at me. Geez… I'm probably only gonna have one chapter after this one. So, tell me if I should start a sequel. I'm working on another Snape story where I get to make him the good guy again. I just love making him the good guy… Super duper.  
  
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**  
  
_Don't close your eyes in fear _

_Just stay calm for I am here _

_Don't scream out in fright _

_I'm lying next to you tonight  
  
If it's raining hard _

_I'm the raindrop on your tongue _

_If you fell down hard _

_I'm the bullet in your gun  
  
Don't lose yourself in the game _

_I'm the one who gave your name _

_Don't kill cause it's not right_

_Don't fret, I'm here tonight  
  
If you lost yourself _

_I'll meet you in Hell _

_If you forgot to love _

_I will give you way too much  
  
Don't fall behind _

_It's not okay _

_Just wait for me _

_For one more day _

_For one more day  
  
"Guilty Conscience"- Lauren Camacho_  
  
**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO  
**  
Everyday for the next week, Sirius and I snuck to the "fairground" as we called it, a different time each day. We stayed as long as we could (or until Sir got restless) before hurrying back to relay the news. We uncovered why they were after us, as well as Sirius. Lucius Malfoy longed for my mother. He went to school with the Marauders and discovered a picture of Mom that Siri carried around with him during their fourth year. Ever since then, he's always wanted her. Though he's married with a son of his own, Mom would always remain fair game.  
  
"There's no way I'm going to let them take her from me. From all of us!" Sirius exclaimed when we arrived back at the campsite. "If that bastard lays even one finger on her, I'll kill him!"  
  
"Sirius, he won't find her," Remus said, his voice oddly quiet. "I've sent her away."  
  
"What?!?"  
  
"I felt that it was best for her."  
  
"Where is she?"  
  
"I can't tell you."  
  
"What about the others?" Tonks asked.  
  
"They went with her."  
  
"Why can't you tell us?" Sirius demanded.  
  
"I thought it best if you didn't know."  
  
"Well, you know what I think? Stop thinking!"  
  
"Siri, chill," I told him under my breath.  
  
"No! I don't want to 'chill'! I want to know if my girlfriend's safe! You sent her to God knows where without telling any of us, so for all we know, she could be walking straight into the hands of a Death Eater!"  
  
"You think I didn't know that? Sirius, you're not the only one who loves Tina or any of the others. We all love them. I want them safe, too. Do you know what it'd be like if Tina died? Or Harry? How would you feel? I, for one, would be devastated."  
  
"Me, too."  
  
"Trust me. They're safe."  
  
"Where are they, Remus?"  
  
"Hogwarts."  
  
"You think that's safe?!? We have the headmaster here with us!"  
  
"Yes, but they have dozens of teachers and hundreds of students. Plus, Hogwarts is full of spells and hexes for protection. It's safe, Sirius. I want them safe as much as you do. I love Tina and would give up my life for her safety which is basically what we're doing. They are under the best protection we can offer." He looked his best friend in the eye. "I know how you feel about her, Sirius. I used to feel the same way. She won't be found."  
  
"Thank you, Remus," he said genuinely.  
  
"Now that that heart to heart moment is over, shall we discuss what our next move should be?" Snape asked impatiently. **(AN- Bastard.)  
  
**"Now, we wait," Dumbledore told him.  
  
"Haven't we done enough waiting?" I slumped down against a nearby tree. "We've been waiting for almost two weeks. I mean, we ain't coming up with any plans or nothing."  
  
"Such poor grammar," Sev sneered.  
  
"Shut up, Sev."  
  
"My, my."  
  
"Look, Sev, I love ya, buddy, but you really need to learn when to shut the hell up." That got him quiet.  
  
Sirius and I waited a few days before venturing off to go spy on the Death Eaters again. We were sitting quietly, listening to a timid woman begging Voldemort to forgive her for crying. Crying of all things! The pleas of the woman made me sick to my stomach. Sensing my discomfort, Sirius chose to return to the camp.  
  
"Hush, woman!" Voldemort demanded as we walked away. "Lucius, go catch those damned dogs."  
  
"Shit!" Sirius and I ran as fast as our four legs would allow as the shouts grew nearer and nearer.  
  
"_Petrificus Totalus_!" Malfoy yelled. I felt my body go rigid and Sirius's do the same. They caught us. We let them catch us. We let Dumbledore down. We let everyone down.  
  
**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO  
**  
"Reveal yourselves," Malfoy repeated, this time with annoyance. "I know you are not just two mangy mutts. This one wears a necklace." He ripped Harry's gift off of my neck as I growled menacingly.  
  
"_Cruc_-" He began to utter an Unforgivable Curse, but Sirius and I reluctantly transformed back into humans.  
  
"Ah…" Voldemort stepped forward, a smile on Tom Riddle's face. "Sirius Black. Who's your little girly friend."  
  
"Leave her alone," Sirius snarled. "She's of no importance to you."  
  
"Silence!" He turned to me. "What's your name?"  
  
"Lorelai Kelsey," I told him.  
  
"Kelsey. That is not a Wizarding name. Who are your parents?"  
  
"Rot in Hell."  
  
"_Crucio_!" I fell to the floor, my eyes squinted shut in pain. I heard Sirius yelling my name just barely. Finally, I felt the curse being lifted, but the pain remained.  
  
"Now, tell me, Lorelai, who are your parents?"  
  
"Tina Kelsey and Remus Lupin."  
  
"Lupin, eh? Then I suspect you're familiar with Severus Snape."  
  
"Never heard of him."  
  
"Don't lie to me!" He yelled, slapping me hard across the face. "You know damn right who he is!"  
  
"I believe we must show her who he is," Malfoy drawled. "Oh, Severus?"  
  
My eyes widened with disbelief as the man I had grown to trust with all my heart stepped out of the shadows. His dark eyes held mine with convincing love before I broke contact as my eyes filled with tears.  
  
"Do you know this Severus Snape?" Malfoy sneered. "The one who obeys the Dark Lord? The killer?"  
  
"He's not a killer!" I burst. "Does he have the Dark Mark? No! He cut it our of his own flesh! **(AN- Ouchies.)** Severus Snape is not a Death Eater!"  
  
"SHUT UP!" _SMACK_! My cheek burned red, almost as much as the blood flowing fiercely through my veins. "He is a Death Eater. Look at his back." Malfoy pulled up Sev's shirt and a low hiss escaped from his lips. "Where is your mark, Severus?"  
  
Sev rubbed the other scar on his back. "I moved it to a place no one can see. It's hard to be at the beach with people staring at my back. It is inside of me. Trust me. You can feel it."  
  
Voldemort pressed his hand against Severus's chest and nodded. "It is there. Well done, Snape."  
  
I cried out. "I trusted you! Dad trusted you!"  
  
"I know you did."  
  
"How could you do this to us?"  
  
"Easy. I hid my Mark and led you to believe that I was indeed a 'good guy', as you called me."  
  
"Sev…" I spotted pain in his onyx eyes as he turned away from me.  
  
"What shall we do with them, my Lord?" He asked Voldemort.  
  
"Kill Black, but leave the girl and we may have our way with her."  
  
"Now, my Lord, that is not necessary. She is merely a child."  
  
"Snape, don't. Lucius, would you like to do the honors? We'll make Black watch."  
  
"Of course, my Lord." With a dark smile on his face, Malfoy came onto me. I fainted before he even laid a hand on me.  
  
Hours later, I watched the Death Eaters sleep, pain coursing through every inch of my body. I caught Sev's horrified stare and felt anger settle in my stomach. Though he didn't do anything to me, he let them rape me. Repeatedly.  
  
"Son of a bitch," I whispered.  
  
Severus inched over to me, his eyes holding pain and shock. "Lor, you've got to listen-"  
  
"I don't have to do anything. You let them do that to me! You didn't even try to stop them!"  
  
"How do you stop a dozen Death Eaters?"  
  
"I trusted you. You're a bastard, Severus Snape."  
  
"Please, believe me."  
  
"I've already believed enough of your lies. Look what they've given me. Cuts, bruises, burns, and enough pain to last a lifetime. Get the hell away from me and stay away from my dad."  
  
"Lorelai…" He was practically begging.  
  
"Just go away." The tears were flowing freely now.  
  
With a resigned sigh and sad eyes, he returned to his place in the shadows.  
  
**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO  
**  
"Well, Snape, since you brought him to us, would you like to dispose of him?"  
  
Severus nodded and pointed his wand at Sirius, whose head was bowed.  
  
"No!!!" I screamed as red sparks hit Sirius and he crumpled to a lifeless heap.  
  
"Sirius! Siri, please…" The body bind denied me any movement closer to Sirius. "Siri, come back."  
  
Severus whirled on Malfoy, bellowing "_Avada Kedavra_!" killing him instantly.  
  
"How dare you!" Voldemort raised his wand at Severus. "_Imperio_!"  
  
I watched Sev's eyes glaze over, a feeling of dread washing over me. He was trying to help us. But he killed Siri… and Lucius Malfoy, but no one cared about him. He's not a Death Eater. I could hear many curses being yelled as I fainted once again.  
  
**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO  
**  
"Lorelai… Lorelai, wake up. Goddamn it, Severus! What happened?"  
  
"They raped her."  
  
"They WHAT?!?"  
  
"I don't want to repeat those words. They made me watch, Remus. They made me watch the awful things they did to your daughter." His voice was full of tears. "Damn it, Remus, I let them! She's right. I am a bastard. Rem, I'm so sorry. Gods, you have no idea how sorry I am."  
  
"Sirius. What did you do to, Sirius?"  
  
"It's just an Unconscious Curse. He should be awake tomorrow. Oh, Gods, Remus…"  
  
"Shh… Severus, be quiet… Lorelai."  
  
I wrapped my arms around them both as we all cried; let out our pain, frustration, and relief to be done with it all. They had defeated Voldemort. Though his followers still existed around the world, they no longer have a leader to follow. They're helpless.  
  
A fresh wave of pain hit my body and I recoiled from Remus and Sev.  
  
Sev… he saved us. He loves us… he loves me.  
  
"Lor?" Concern was etched in every line of my father's face. "Lorelai, are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm good."  
  
"Just lie down. You'll be fine."  
  
I looked around me and realized that we were back at 12 Grimmauld Place once again. The familiar postered **(AN- Apparently, "postered" is not a word. Huh.)** room and flowered bedspread brought a strange sense of comfort to me after being away for so long. Remus lied down next to me, stroking my hair and whispering soothing words as Severus stared out the window.  
  
"Sev, come here," I said, sitting up in bed.  
  
He cautiously inched over to me and tried to pull away when I pulled him into a hug.  
  
"Nuh-uh, old man. I love you, Sev."  
  
His breath caught, but he tightened his grip on me and kissed the top of my head. "I love you, too, Lorelai."  
  
"And I love you, Dad." I smiled as Remus joined the hug. At that very moment, my stomach gave a sudden lurch and I jumped out of bed and into the bathroom.  
  
I stared at "what-used-to-be-in-my-stomach-and-is-now-in-the-toilet" with a sickening feeling. Well, it's probably just because I've been through a lot of pain and stuff during the last few days. But, after a week or so of waking up and rushing to the restroom, I decided to talk to Mrs. Weasley about what was wrong with me. Sure, I've barfed before but not for eight days in a row.  
  
"Well, how do you feel now?" She asked me.  
  
"Like shit. Oops, sorry, Mrs. W."  
  
"Do you know why you feel this way?" God, I felt like I was being interrogated by the police. Of course I don't know why I feel this way. Why do you think I came to you?  
  
"Well, I've just been raped and beaten several times," I said sarcastically. "But I don't think that the physical pain would make me vomit for a week."  
  
"Wait… you've been raped so… Lorelai, I think you're pregnant."  
  
"What? Pregnant? No, I can't be. I'm only 15!"  
  
"I never said you were! It's just a possibility! A very big one. You know, if you are pregnant, you could always, you know… get rid of it…"  
  
My jaw dropped.

**AN- Another cliffhanger! Super duper! Actually, I'm posting the next chapter with this one, so you don't hate me. Is she or isn't she? Stay tuned for the next chapter, "She Will Be Loved". Aw, it's so sweet. I love the next chapter. Oh, and Lorelai is a little loopy in the next chappie. Damn, I gave it away. Memory charm! Memory charm! You have no idea what I just said! It all disappeared! I swear it did! Oh and, has anyone seen Quigley Down Under? I wanna rent that but I don't know what it's about.  
  
Please review!**


	11. She Will Be Loved

**A SLIGHT CHANGE CH. 11- SHE WILL BE LOVED  
  
DISCLAIMER- Ha. That's funny. You thought I owned all of this. Yeah, right. Just some and you know what they are.  
  
AN- I forgot to post this with Chapitero 10, so here it is. Ha. I forgot. Ha, Mountain Dew is good. So is having three cans of it while writing. Oh, hey, I'm not done with this chapter. Damn.  
  
QueenCrissCross- Truly, I am sorry if I offended you with the relationship between Snape and Lupin. I myself am 15, but I love the character of Remus Lupin and I love Alan Rickman (Snape is creepy, so I made him a good guy) and I thought it'd be wonderful if I can get two totally awesome guys together. I tried Remus and Tonks and I just couldn't write that. Sorry.**  
  
**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO  
**__

Beauty queen of only eighteen

She had some trouble with herself

He was always there to help her

She always belonged to someone else

I drove for miles and miles

And wound up at your door

I've had you so many times but somehow

I want more

I don't mind spending everyday

Out on your corner in the pouring rain

Look for the girl with the broken smile

Ask her if she wants to stay awhile

And she will be loved

And she will be loved

Tap on my window, knock on my door

I want to make you feel beautiful

I know I tend to get so insecure

It doesn't matter anymore

It's not always rainbows and butterflies

It's compromise that moves us along

My heart is full and my door's always open

You can come anytime you want

I don't mind spending everyday

Out on your corner in the pouring rain, oh

Look for the girl with the broken smile

Ask her if she wants to stay awhile

And she will be loved

And she will be loved

And she will be loved

And she will be loved

I know where you hide

Alone in your car

Know all of the things that make you who you are

I know that goodbye means nothing at all

Comes back and begs me to catch her every time she falls

Tap on my window, knock on my door

I want to make you feel beautiful

I don't mind spending every day

Out on your corner in the pouring rain

Look for the girl with the broken smile

Ask her if she wants to stay awhile

And she will be loved

And she will be loved

And she will be loved

And she will be loved

Please don't try so hard to say goodbye

Please don't try so hard to say goodbye

I don't mind spending everyday

Out on your corner in the pouring rain

Please don't try so hard to say goodbye

"She Will Be Loved"- Maroon 5

  
  
**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO  
**  
I stared at Mrs. Weasley in disbelief. Get rid of my child? Surely that was a possibility. I mean, if I am pregnant, it would be with the child of a Death Eater. But still, it's not the kid's fault. I will not get rid of my baby. If there is a baby.  
  
"No," I said sternly. "If I am pregnant, I am going to have the baby."  
  
"Maybe we should have Poppy check you out. You've met Madame Pomfrey, have you not?"  
  
"Yes, ma'am, I have."  
  
"Okay. I'll see if she can Floo over here. Oh, dear." She waddled over to the fireplace and called out, "Poppy? Poppy, are you in?"  
  
Madame Pomfrey's plump face appeared in the fireplace, a look of annoyance spread on it. "Oh, hello, Molly. How are you?"  
  
"I've been better. Um, do you have a moment to spare? It's kind of an emergency."  
  
"Well, um… okay." Her whole body emerged from the fireplace. How do they do that? That's just… wow. "What is it?"  
  
"Hi, Madame Pomfrey," I said sheepishly.  
  
"Well, hello, Lorelai. Are you sick?"  
  
"Well, see, that's where you come in. I talked to Mrs. Weasley after I've woken up, vomiting, for the past week or so and we both decided… I think I'm pregnant."  
  
"Oh, my!" Her hand flew to her mouth. She whispered, looking a little uncomfortable, "Is it Harry's?"  
  
"No!" I said, very loudly. I sighed before continuing. "I was helping Dad and all of them to fight Voldemort. The Death Eaters caught me and Sirius while we were spying and they… raped me." I flinched at the evil memories those words brought me.  
  
Madame Pomfrey's face paled as she searched for words. "Well, this… this is quite a predicament. I guess I should check to see if you are indeed pregnant."  
  
"Okay. Will it hurt?"  
  
"No, not at all."  
  
"All right."  
  
She took her wand out of her apron and, laying me down on the couch, pointed it to my stomach. "If you are pregnant, a blue or pink aura will envelop you, depending on the sex of the baby. If not, then there will be nothing. Ready?" I nodded. "_Pregananto_!"  
  
We were silent and still for a few moments, not even daring to breathe. When a wisp of blue smoke began to emerge from my stomach, we all gasped. I was pregnant. With a son. A Death Eater's son.  
  
"Dear God," Mrs. Weasley breathed.  
  
I closed my eyes for a second and when I opened them, I saw my friends and family standing behind the two ladies, their faces full of surprise.  
  
"Congratulations?" Ron offered.  
  
"You're pregnant," Mom sighed. "How did…? Hell, Lor, the Death Eaters?"  
  
I only nodded, still not believing what was happening. This was all just a bad dream. I'm still asleep at my home in California, in my nice warm bed. Yeah, in the morning, Mom and I are going to Disneyland. But that's the dream and this is reality.  
  
"That's not… it's a boy," Harry said. Again, I nodded. "Are you going to keep it?" Nod. "I'll help you."  
  
I stared, dumbfounded, at Harry. "What?"  
  
"I'll help you," he repeated, sounding surer of his decision. "I mean, I'm your boyfriend and all, so I should help you. The baby's gotta have a father, right?"  
  
"Harry…"  
  
"No. I'm helping. End of discussion."  
  
"I'll help, too," Hermione added, giving me a warm smile.  
  
"Me, too." Ron sat down next to me, holding my hand in his. Soon, everyone was volunteering to help me take care of my baby. My friends, my family…  
  
I started to cry.  
  
**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO  
**  
That night, I couldn't sleep at all. Thoughts of that dreadful day kept rushing back to me and then that made me remember that I was carrying a Death Eater's child. I'm only a child myself. 15 years isn't even a quarter of my life! Was I even ready to be a mom? Shoot, I have enough trouble taking care of myself! And what about school? I don't want to drop out and ruin any chance for a good future!  
  
I slipped out of bed and quietly made my way to Harry and Ron's room. Ron was snoring loudly so I was pretty sure Harry and I had at least some privacy.  
  
"Harry?"  
  
He groaned sleepily. "Huh?"  
  
"Harry…" I sniffed back the tears. "I'm not ready."  
  
"Lor?" He sat up in bed and motioned for me to join him. "What's wrong?"  
  
"I'm not ready to be a mom. It's too soon. The baby's gonna have the crappiest life. Oh, geez, Harry."  
  
"Hey, quit it. The baby is going to have the best life. He'll have the greatest mother anyone can ask for and a family that will care for him no matter what. You might not be ready for a child right now but you still have nine months to ready yourself. I'm sure there are books and stuff you could read and Hermione was talking about some sort of class."  
  
"Lamaze."  
  
"Right. Lamaze class. We can go to that, you and me. You'll be fine. We'll be fine. Our son will have a wonderful life."  
  
I gave him a watery smile. "You called him 'our son'. You don't have to do this, Harry."  
  
"I want to. I think I'll make a good dad."  
  
"Me, too." I snuggled closer to him. "Do you mind if I sleep here tonight?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Okay. Good night."  
  
"Good night, Lor."  
  
I don't know if it was meant for me to hear, but a few minutes later, I heard him whisper, "I love you." After that, I slipped into a dreamless sleep.  
  
**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO  
**  
Weeks became months and soon, I was three months into the pregnancy. Madame Pomfrey visited weekly to check on me and make sure everything was going smoothly, which was really nice of her.  
  
But Ron was definitely the sweetest guy during this time. He was taking his "Uncle Ronnie" role very seriously. Everyday he spoke to my growing stomach, telling my unborn son what happened that day and the history of myself and everybody else in the house. It was so cute, though, because if anyone else caught him in the act, he'd get all flustered and embarrassed. It was the sweetest thing I'd ever seen.  
  
Oh, and Remy and Sev? They are going to make the best grandparents. Remus is, of course, the concerned, sweet father, constantly fussing over me. Fluffing my pillow before going to bed, asking if I wanted anything to eat or drink, and shoving book upon book on me dealing with pregnancy and raising a child.  
  
Severus, on the other hand, was one of those guys who cared so much but acted like he didn't. If anyone else was around, he'd stand back and watch the crowd. But if he was the only guy (or Remus was there) with me, he was a completely different man. He read books to me like I was a young girl, he talked to me at night when I couldn't sleep, and he made me potions for the extremely spur-of-the-moment mood swings. Thank God for Severus Snape.  
  
Oh, geez, I've got to tell you about poor Harry coming on to me when I was in the middle of a tyrannosaurus mood swing.  
  
Okay, so I was sitting on the couch watching The Lion King and I was bawling because Mufasa just died when Harry walked in. now this was a few days after both of our birthdays (his was July 31st and mine was August 1st) **(AN- No really. It is.),** so he was pretty psyched to be 16. Anyways, he walked in after playing Quidditch with the Weasley's and he was all hot and sweaty and he looked really good. Normally, I'd give him a kiss just for looking so good. But not today. Oh, no, today was not his day. He stands right in front of me, blocking the TV, and tries to kiss me. I'm dodging and squirming, doing anything just to see the movie, but he keeps on trying to kiss me.  
  
Oh, I lost it."Get the hell out of my way!" I screamed, pushing him out of the way. "I'm trying to watch my movie and I'm crying and I don't want to be kissed or hugged or cuddled! I just want to sit here and watch Simba by myself and if you have any problem- any problem whatsoever- you can tell me now! Nothing? Nothing at all?" I started crying harder. "Don't you love me anymore?"  
  
"Of course I do, Lor-"  
  
"Don't touch me!"  
  
"Okay, okay. But I do love you."  
  
"Then give me a hug."  
  
"Okay. Come here."  
  
Poor Harry. Now he asks before he hugs me. I think I scared him a little bit.  
  
**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO  
**  
"The baby seems to be doing well," Madame Pomfrey said, putting her wand back in her apron. "How are you doing, Lorelai?"  
  
"Super duper. Now that Sev has gotten rid of my mood swings, I'm feeling a lot better. Harry is too."  
  
"He got a full blast of estrogen, didn't he?"  
  
I nodded. "Poor guy. So, is it still a boy?"  
  
"Still a boy, yes. Have you thought of names?"  
  
"I have, but I wanted to talk to Harry first. He still wants to be the father of my son, so he should get a say in this, too."  
  
"The two of you are doing the right thing. You'll make excellent parents."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"And remember, I'm here if you need me."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Okay, so let's hear those names."  
  
"Baby names?" Hermione walked into the living room, handing us two glasses of lemonade. The August heat was beginning to become unbearable. Everyone was casting cooling spells every five minutes.  
  
"Well, I like the name Jett, but I can't think of a middle name. Jaden Lee is pretty high on the list. And Sidney James, also."  
  
"Harry would like that one," Hermione said, pulling her thick hair into a pony tail. "James was his father's name."  
  
"Yeah. Sidney James. Sidney is also Reina's middle name," I noticed as my little sister jumped onto the couch next to me.  
  
"Hey, little brother!" She yelled to my stomach. Kids…  
  
"No, he's not your little brother. He's your nephew. You're his aunt."  
  
"Auntie Reina?"  
  
"Auntie Reina."  
  
"I like that. Hey, Harry."  
  
"Hello, Reina. Three more months until you get to meet your nephew." Harry gave me a quick kiss and settle on to the floor in front of the couch. "So, what'd I miss?"  
  
"Lorelai thought of a name we think you'll really like, Harry." Hermione smiled widely.  
  
"Sidney James." I absent-mindedly played with his hair. "We can call him Sid, or Sidney, James, Jimmy, Jay, SJ-"  
  
"Sidney James," Harry repeated with a thoughtful look on his face. "I do like that. That's a keeper."  
  
"All right. Baby's got a name." I stood up, with the help of Harry, and waddled up to my room. Very slowly. Each step took longer than the last one and by the time I reached my room, I was already out of breath.  
  
I plopped down on my bed and thought about whether or not my son would have a good life. I've had everybody in this house tell me that he'll have the best life a kid could ask for, but I still have doubts. I'm usually a very optimistic person, but those "positive thoughts" don't really involve bringing forth a human being into the world, especially at a time like this. Death Eaters are haunting the wizarding world and the Muggles are always in war. There are sex and drugs on every corner and I don't want my son to grow up in a world like this. Not where grown men can rape a young girl purely for their own enjoyment. That's just not right.  
  
**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO  
**  
"I can't believe you think that's appetizing," Sirius said, a look of disgust on his face.  
  
"A cornbread and salmon sandwich? Sounds good to me." I took a big bite and offered the sandwich to him. "Come on, try it."  
  
"No, thank you. Pregnant women have strange stomachs."  
  
"I'm sure little Sidney resents that. Don't you, baby?" I asked my stomach. "Look, he kicked. He doesn't like you, Siri. I'm sorry. Ouch, he kicked again. Dadgum, he really doesn't like you. Okay… that definitely wasn't a kick."  
  
"You okay, Lor?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just- _GOOD GAWD_! What the hell did you do to this child?"  
  
"I didn't do anything!" Sirius cried. "Remus? I think something's wrong with Lorelai!"  
  
"What?" Remus came charging into the kitchen with Mom hot on his tail. **(AN- Heh. Tail.)** "What's wrong, sweetheart?"  
  
"Sidney won't stop kicking. Sirius said something offensive and he kicked once and he hasn't stopped. Oh, my God, I'm peeing on myself!"  
  
"Your water broke!" Mom screamed. "You're going into labor!"  
  
"No, I'm not! I'm pissing all over my favorite shorts!"  
  
"Lor, just calm down, all right?" She turned to Siri, who was nervously chewing on his thumbnail. "Go tell Molly to get the car. We have to get Lor to St. Mungo's."  
  
He nodded and ran out of the room as fast as he could, muttering under his breath. Something about, "I made her leak". I stared in horror at the puddle between my feet before looking up at my mom. I was going into labor. My baby was coming.  
  
"Mom, I'm scared," I admitted, as she pulled me into a hug.  
  
"It's okay, baby. It'll be over soon. I promise."  
  
**AN- The baby's coming! The baby's coming! Thanks to all who've reviewed. Next chapter's the last, I'm afraid. Tell me if I should make a sequel. Okey dokey. Thanks.**


	12. What A Wonderful World

**A SLIGHT CHANGE CH. 12- WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD  
  
DISCLAIMER- Nope, not mine.  
  
AN- This is the last chapter. (sob) I probably will do a sequel. Just for the hell of it. I'm working on another "Snape as a good guy" story called Windows. The first chapter should be up in the next week or so. Thanks for sticking with me.  
  
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**  
  
_I see trees of green, red roses too _

_I see them bloom for me and you _

_And I say to myself _

_What a wonderful world  
  
I see skies of blue and clouds of white _

_Bright sunny days, dark sacred nights _

_And I think to myself _

_What a wonderful world  
  
The colors of the rainbow are so pretty in the skies _

_Are also on the faces of people walking by _

_I see friends shaking hands saying _

_How do you do?_

_They're really saying _

_I love you  
  
I see babies cry, I watch them grow _

_They'll learn much more than I'll ever know _

_And I think to myself _

_What a wonderful world _

_Yes, I think to myself _

_What a wonderful world  
  
And I say to myself _

_What a wonderful world  
  
"What a Wonderful World"- Joey Ramone_  
  
**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO  
**  
It'll all be over soon. Yeah, right. Seven hours later, I was lying in a hospital bed screaming my lungs out and holding Harry's hand so hard I swear I could feel the bones shattering.  
  
"Okay, one more push, Miss Kelsey," the Mediwizard said.  
  
"One more push, Lor," Harry repeated unnecessarily.  
  
"Dammit, I heard him! Quit repeating every little thing they say! Argh!"  
  
"He's almost out. Just one more push."  
  
"You just said tha-AAH!"  
  
The cries of my newborn son drowned out my own screams. Soon, the only sound to be heard was the quieting whispers of the baby.  
  
"Wow, he's quiet," Harry observed. "He sure didn't get that from you."  
  
"That's our son." The tears were mixing in with the sweat on my face as I watched the doctors cut my son's umbilical cord before placing him in my arms. His dirty blonde hair was streaked with the sleek platinum of his father's. My son's father was Lucius Malfoy.  
  
"Oh, God…" I turned away from the green eyes of my baby and looked at Harry.  
  
"He's got my eyes," he whispered.  
  
"Yes, but none of your genes," I joked. "He's a gorgeous baby, though, no matter who his father is."  
  
"I'm his father, Lor. Don't ever forget that." He leaned down to kiss my forehead. "He's beautiful. Hey, Sidney. I'm your dad and this is your mum. I think you'll like it here."  
  
"Where's my grandson?" My mom shoved past the protesting Mediwitches with Remus following behind her and looked down at her new grandson. "Aw, he's so cute! Hey, little buddy. Look, Remus, he's looking at us."  
  
"I see that." Remus put a hand on my shoulder and asked, "Are you okay?"  
  
"I'm fine, Dad."  
  
"All right. Congratulations, you two."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
The next hour consisted of family and friends congratulating Harry and I and cooing over Sidney. After that, Harry and I were left alone to talk about our future.  
  
"Look, I know we're only 16 but we have a child together, a _life_ together. We should get married. I mean, not right now, but after we graduate. We should get married."  
  
I stared at him. Get married… after we graduate… me, marry my boyfriend, The-Boy-Who-Lived.  
  
"Why me?"  
  
He looked surprised by the question. "What do you mean?"  
  
"You can have any girl in the world, Harry. Why me? And don't say because of the baby."  
  
"Lor, I love you, okay? Does there have to be more reason than that?" He shifted in his chair and stared defiantly at me. "Why _me_?"  
  
"Because I love you."  
  
"There. We love each other. Will you marry me?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Good. So what do you wanna do?"  
  
And that was the proposal. Not exactly romantic but sweet in its own way. We announced our engagement when we brought Sidney home. I'd say that the news was well-received because there was ecstatic applause and even more "congratulations". Even Sev was happy and he loathes Harry with a passion. We need to work on their relationship. Sev might be Harry's father-in-law someday.  
  
About a week later, a very unexpected guest showed up.  
  
The girls and I were watching The Blue Collar Comedy Tour while Sidney was taking a nap when _he_ arrived.  
  
"Hello, Lorelai."  
  
I looked up and met the cold green eyes of Draco Malfoy.  
  
"Who let _you_ in, Malfoy?" Ginny asked heatedly.  
  
"_Your_ mother." He turned to me, his eyes softening a bit. "I heard what Father did to you and… I'm sorry."  
  
"It gave me one good thing." I gestured upstairs. "Would you like to meet your little brother?"  
  
"Yes, please."  
  
As I stood up, Hermione gave me a questioning look, as if asking "What the hell are you doing?" Honestly? I had no idea. I mean, Draco can't be as evil as his father and even he should get the chance to meet his little brother.  
  
I led him upstairs to Sidney's room, which he shared with Harry, Ron, and I. I moved in after Sid was born because he woke up many times during the night and it took both of his parents to get him back to sleep.  
  
"Here he is." I carefully took him out of his crib, only to a few small whimpers. "Sidney James Potter."  
  
"Can I… can I hold him?"  
  
"Um, yeah. Be careful, though."  
  
"Okay."  
  
I placed him in Malfoy's waiting arms. He instinctively cradled the baby's head and just stared down at his little brother. Great, I'm related to a Malfoy. I don't know how… his brother's mom… ew, I'm _so_ not Draco's half-mother!  
  
"He's got Harry's eyes. But they have a sort of Malfoy look to them." He grinned. "This is amazing." The grin faded quickly as he soberly looked me straight in the eye. "I'm not a Death Eater. I never will be."  
  
"I know that."  
  
"Now that Father's gone, I don't have to hate everybody. When he was around, I'd get beat if I was nice to a mudblood or Gryffindor."  
  
"That's awful."  
  
"You get used to it after a while." He placed Sidney back in his bassinet and pulled his blanket to his ching. "I'm living at Hogwarts for now. Dumbledore's letting me stay since school starts in two weeks anyway."  
  
"Two weeks…" That's it? What am I going to do about Sid? Will Dumbledore let me bring him to school? I mean, I won't be the only one there to look after him. I'll have my friends and Remus and Sev. Sid will be well cared for. Then again, I could leave him here with Mom and Sirius… no, he's my responsibility. I'm not going to be the type of mother who just drops her child off with his grandparents whenever she feels like it.  
  
I ran downstairs and straight into Dumbledore and McGonnagal.  
  
"Professors, hello."  
  
"Hello, Lorelai." Professor McGonnagal dropped her stern image and embraced me in a hug. "Congratulations. On both the baby and the engagement. It couldn't have happened to a better girl."  
  
"Thank you. That really means a lot to me. Excuse me, Professor Dumbledore, may I ask you something?"  
  
"Yes, of course."  
  
"What do I do with Sidney while I'm at school?"  
  
"Why, bring him with you of course! I'm sure the staff would be more than happy to fuss over the baby."  
  
"What about my classes?"  
  
"Whether you know it or not, our teachers very caring people." Sev snorted at this but Dumbledore chose to ignore him. "They will most likely allow you to have Sidney in the classroom with you."  
  
I let out a huge sigh of relief. "And if they don't, I'm sure Sev won't mind taking care of him. Right, Grampa?"  
  
"Call me Grampa one more time and I'll hex you into oblivion."  
  
I leaned towards the professors and whispered, "He's just mad cause Remy's spending more time with Sidney than with him."  
  
"Am not!"  
  
"Sev, you are so jealous."  
  
"No…" He shrugged. "Maybe just a little… that little twit stole my boyfriend!"  
  
"Severus Julian Snape! My _son_ did not steal Remus from you. Remus is Sid's grandfather and so are you. You should spend some time with your grandson, Sev."  
  
He rolled his eyes before muttering, "I hate when your right."  
  
"I know you do. That's why I'm always right."  
  
"Bullshit!" Sirius coughed.  
  
"Well, Lorelai, we just came to tell you congratulations." Dumbledore said. "And also that, if you are willing, you are welcome to come to Hogwarts one week early to prepare your chambers for you and your son."  
  
"My chambers? I'm not staying in Gryffindor Tower?"  
  
"Well, you may if you wish, but I think it will be a lot harder for a young baby to live with a whole lot of teenagers running amuck in his bedroom. Harry can stay with you, also."  
  
I rushed into the headmaster's arms and hugged him tightly. "Thank you so much, Professor."  
  
"You are quit welcome. Your chambers are in the dungeons, along with Severus and Remus's."  
  
"Dad stays in the dungeons? But that's not where his classroom is."  
  
"W moved it to the dungeons so that he can be closer to Severus here. His classroom is still in its usual spot but we converted his old quarters to a storage room."  
  
"Sweet…"  
  
**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO  
**  
One week later, we were packing up for our return to Hogwarts as sixth years. Although this time, I'd be bringing my son.  
  
"So, you don't mind us living together?" Harry asked me.  
  
"Well, I'm going to need help raising Sidney and I thought, since his namesake wasn't around to help-"  
  
"His namesake? Who'd you name him after?"  
  
"Well, your dad, of course."  
  
"That's his middle name. What about his first name?"  
  
"Well, um, do you really need to know?"  
  
"Stupid question."  
  
"Sid Vicious."  
  
"You named our son after Sid Vicious?"  
  
"Well, you agreed to it!"  
  
"I thought it was a nice name!"  
  
"And it is!" I sighed. "Look, we're fighting like an old married couple."  
  
"Sorry. Come on, Mrs. Weasley's ready to leave."  
  
"Okay."  
  
As Harry brought out luggage down, I cradled Sidney in my arms and looked around the room. So many things have happened in this house. So many life-changing events. I met my future husband and some of the best friends I've ever had. I found my father and fell in love with him _and_ his partner. I thought back on what life was like before I moved to 12 Grimmauld Place. It wasn't bad but I wouldn't want to go back to it. This new life was one I wouldn't trade for the world.  
  
"Hey, Lor, you coming?" Ron stuck his red head in my room. "You okay?"  
  
"Yeah. I was just thinking about how different my life is."  
  
"It's a slight change, isn't it?" He wrapped a lanky arm around his shoulders.  
  
"Yeah. Just a slight change."  
  
**THE END!  
  
AN- Well, that's it! I'm already working on the first chapter of the sequel. It's going to be called My New Life and it should be up sometime next week. Thanks for sticking with me. Love ya! -CAMACHO**


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